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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. stand — to bear
  3. plane — a tool
  4. ball — a dance
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. can — a tin
  7. drill — the tool
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. can — to be able to
  10. chair — a leader
  11. ball — a great time
  12. can — a tin
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. drill — a practice
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. dip — to sink
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. drill — army training

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