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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
468
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: deal · shower · dip · toast · pass · plane · mine · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. shower — rain
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. season — of the year
  5. dip — to sink
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. shower — to wash
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. pass — a permit
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mine — for digging
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. toast — bread

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