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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. lie — to recline
  4. dip — to sink
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. plane — a tool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pitch — completely
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. stem — to come from
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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