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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 116 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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. dip — to sink
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. squash — to crush
  5. mug — a cup
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. object — an aim
  8. clip — to cut
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. plane — a tool
  12. object — a thing
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. squash — the sport
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. clip — a video
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. object — to protest
  20. rock — music
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mug — a face
  23. clip — for paper
  24. mug — to rob

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