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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. date — the fruit
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. root — of a word
  9. file — a line of people
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. hand — in cards
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. root — the cause
  20. hand — help
  21. root — of a plant
  22. file — a tool
  23. snap — to click
  24. date — on the calendar

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