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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bass — the fish
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. board — a committee
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mine — for digging
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lean — thin
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bass — low music
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lie — to recline
  24. board — to get on

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