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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. mate — a partner
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pop — soda
  8. bore — to drill
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mate — to breed
  17. dip — to sink
  18. press — to push
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pop — music

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