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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. chest — a box
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. chest — of your body
  8. plane — a tool
  9. mug — to rob
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mug — a face
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. tube — the underground
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. pound — a weight
  17. tube — a container
  18. dip — to sink
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. mug — a cup
  22. snap — to click
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. plane — an aircraft

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