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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. date — the fruit
  3. dip — to sink
  4. rush — hurry
  5. file — a tool
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. file — a document
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stand — to bear
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bulb — for light
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bulb — of a plant

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