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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 116 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: plane · file · pass · cabinet · trunk · bulb · dip · tear

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. tear — from crying
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. file — a tool
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. file — a document
  11. pass — a permit
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. dip — to sink
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. plane — a tool
  16. file — a line of people
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bulb — for light
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. tear — to rip
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. cabinet — ministers

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