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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. row — to paddle
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. march — music
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. march — the month
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. march — the month
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. row — a line
  18. shower — rain
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. dip — to sink
  23. pitch — completely
  24. shower — to wash

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