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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to sink
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. march — music
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. date — the fruit
  10. stem — to come from
  11. charge — in control
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. charge — electricity
  15. plane — a tool
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. march — the month
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. pass — a permit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. march — the month

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