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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. game — wild animals
  7. plane — a tool
  8. lie — to recline
  9. kid — to tease
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. root — of a word
  12. kick — in football
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. root — of a plant
  15. current — electric
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. game — a match
  18. current — of water
  19. current — happening now
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. root — the cause

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