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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. plane — a tool
  3. land — to come down
  4. chip — to eat
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bark — to shout
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. land — ground
  17. land — a country
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rush — hurry
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. tube — a container
  24. wave — with your hand

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