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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. cap — of ice
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. cap — a lid
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. dip — to sink
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. plane — a tool
  16. mine — for digging
  17. cap — a hat
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pop — to visit
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pop — music

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