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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pass — a permit
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. toast — bread
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. file — a document
  10. charge — electricity
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. file — a line of people
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. charge — a price
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bore — to tire
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bore — to drill
  20. charge — in control
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. file — a tool

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