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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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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. club — for golf
  3. dip — to sink
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. plane — a tool
  9. cold — an illness
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mark — a grade
  14. lean — thin
  15. mark — a trace
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. cold — not warm
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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