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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 120 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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. rash — hasty
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. pit — a hole
  5. fine — high quality
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. stem — to come from
  9. fine — all right
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. plane — a tool
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bulb — for light
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. rash — a series
  21. wake — a trail
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bulb — for light

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