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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. stock — goods
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. prune — to trim
  16. plane — a tool
  17. stock — shares
  18. foot — a measure
  19. prune — to trim
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. kick — in football
  23. perch — the fish
  24. sharp — clever

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