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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pass — a permit
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. dip — to sink
  10. plane — a tool
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. file — a line of people
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — to tease
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. date — the fruit
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a document
  24. leaves — lets stay

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