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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · bay · wake · cabinet · club · rush · date · perch

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. club — a group
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fall — to drop
  10. club — for golf
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. rush — hurry
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. wake — a trail
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. club — for dancing
  24. fall — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com