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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. kick — in football
  9. plane — a tool
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. capital — a city
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. capital — money
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bank — of a river
  24. capital — a big letter

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