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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. dip — to sink
  4. mark — a trace
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. march — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — music
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. march — the month
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — clothes
  19. plane — a tool
  20. march — the month
  21. suit — in cards
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — dry grass

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