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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 · kid · pass · pit · plane · rush · toast · squash

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. pit — a hole
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. toast — bread
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. clip — a video
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. clip — to cut
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. squash — the sport
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. clip — for paper
  17. kid — to tease
  18. pass — a permit
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. rush — hurry
  21. pit — in a race
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. plane — in geometry

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