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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: wake · suit · date · arm · plane · hand · track · clip

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. wake — a trail
  3. hand — help
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. track — a song
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. track — to keep track
  9. clip — for paper
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. suit — in cards
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. clip — a video
  15. plane — a tool
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. date — the fruit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. track — a path
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. clip — to cut
  24. hand — in cards

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