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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: date · wave · plane · bay · jam · present · chair · dip

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. present — the time now
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. dip — to sink
  9. present — a gift
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. plane — a tool
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. present — there
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. date — the fruit

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