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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. spell — magic
  3. bore — to tire
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. date — the fruit
  6. spell — a short time
  7. plane — a tool
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bore — to drill
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. field — a subject
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. deal — to handle
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. spell — letters
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pit — a hole
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pit — in a race
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. deal — an agreement

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