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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pit · bore · plane · leaves · cap · mine · firm · date

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bore — to tire
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bore — to drill
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. cap — of ice
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. cap — a hat
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — steady
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. date — the fruit
  22. mine — for digging
  23. cap — a lid
  24. firm — a company

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