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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. toast — bread
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rock — music
  7. plane — a tool
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. rock — a stone
  12. file — a tool
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. file — a line of people
  19. suit — in cards
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. file — a document

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