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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. toast — bread
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. lean — thin
  14. pit — in a race
  15. deal — to handle
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. date — the fruit
  21. plane — a tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lean — to bend
  24. fan — to cool the air

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