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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. drill — the tool
  4. file — a document
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. file — a line of people
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. drill — army training
  11. file — a tool
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stock — shares
  14. chair — a leader
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. drill — a practice
  19. cap — a lid
  20. stock — goods
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. cap — a hat
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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