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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. mate — to breed
  9. scale — size or range
  10. ground — crushed
  11. cell — a phone
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. scale — in music
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pound — a weight
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ground — the earth
  19. mate — a friend
  20. cell — in biology
  21. ground — a position
  22. mate — a partner
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. dip — a sauce

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