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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.

Make a worksheet

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

Words on the sheet
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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 · prune · cap · coach · drill · lie · wave · scale

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. date — the fruit
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. lie — to recline
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. drill — a practice
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. drill — the tool
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. drill — army training
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — of ice
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. cap — a lid
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. prune — to trim
  24. scale — in music

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