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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. branch — a division
  3. row — a line
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. chair — a leader
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. cap — of ice
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. row — to paddle
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. cap — a hat
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. plane — a tool
  15. hand — in cards
  16. saw — the tool
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. hand — help
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cap — a lid
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. dip — a sauce

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