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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bore — to tire
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bore — to drill
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. plane — a tool
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. lean — thin
  21. clip — a video
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. clip — to cut
  24. board — a flat piece

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