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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 124 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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. shower — rain
  3. net — in sport
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bound — tied together
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. net — for catching
  8. toast — bread
  9. net — after costs
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — certain
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. rock — a stone
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. shower — to wash
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. rock — music
  22. plane — a tool
  23. dip — to sink
  24. chair — a professorship

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