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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 retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bank — of a river
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bank — for money
  8. pitch — completely
  9. toast — bread
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. season — of the year
  17. bank — for money
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — a weight
  24. wind — to turn a key

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