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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 120 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. root — the cause
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. tube — a container
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. track — a song
  8. fall — the season
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. dip — to sink
  11. fall — to drop
  12. root — of a word
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. track — to keep track
  18. root — of a plant
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. plane — a tool
  21. track — a path
  22. lie — to recline
  23. fall — to drop
  24. perch — for a bird

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