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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. mate — to breed
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. net — after costs
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. object — an aim
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. shower — to wash
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. net — in sport
  17. object — to protest
  18. mate — a partner
  19. plane — a tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. object — a thing
  22. mate — a friend
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. dip — to sink

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