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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: dip · patient · date · plane · object · pit · stand · straw

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. plane — a tool
  8. object — to protest
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — in a race
  14. object — a thing
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. date — the fruit
  18. pit — a hole
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. object — an aim
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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