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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.

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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. firm — decided
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. plane — a tool
  6. face — to confront
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. spell — letters
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. face — part of the head
  13. firm — steady
  14. face — to point toward
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. spell — a short time
  21. firm — a company
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. spell — magic
  24. rush — hurry

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