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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bear — the animal
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bear — the animal
  7. tube — a container
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pit — a hole
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. plane — a tool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. tube — the underground
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pit — in a race
  24. date — the fruit

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