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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. plane — a tool
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. date — the fruit
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — bread
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. plane — an aircraft

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