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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rush · mug · toast · prune · dip · bound · pit · plane

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rush — hurry
  4. mug — a cup
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. plane — a tool
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. dip — to sink
  18. toast — bread
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — certain

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