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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. spell — magic
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. kid — to tease
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. plane — a tool
  9. pitch — completely
  10. spell — a short time
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. spell — letters
  15. pop — to visit
  16. kid — child
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — soda
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. mark — a trace
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. mark — a grade

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