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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: safe · dip · plane · chair · cap · wind · pop · date

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. chair — a leader
  3. cap — a hat
  4. pop — to visit
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. cap — a lid
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pop — music
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. plane — a tool
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. pop — soda
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. wind — moving air
  22. dip — to sink
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. dip — to dunk

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