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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. spring — a coil
  3. charge — in control
  4. plane — a tool
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. key — for a lock
  11. saw — the tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. cell — in biology
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. key — in music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. spring — of water
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. charge — a price
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. charge — electricity
  24. spring — the season

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