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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. foot — a measure
  4. fall — the season
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. fall — to drop
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — a tool
  10. board — a committee
  11. fall — to drop
  12. dip — to sink
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. board — to get on
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. saw — the tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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