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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: clip · date · dip · toast · rash · leaves · bay · deal

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. rash — hasty
  8. toast — bread
  9. clip — for paper
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. deal — to handle
  13. dip — to sink
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. clip — a video
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. date — the fruit
  20. clip — to cut
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. dip — a sauce

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