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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pass — a permit
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. staff — employees
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. lean — to bend
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. dip — to sink
  14. lean — thin
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. staff — a stick
  20. plane — a tool
  21. staff — employees
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. net — after costs
  24. cell — in biology

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