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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cap — of ice
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. foot — a measure
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cap — a hat
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. squash — the sport
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. squash — to crush
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. kick — in football
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — a tool
  22. cap — a lid
  23. key — in music
  24. dip — to sink

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