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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. board — to get on
  5. deal — to handle
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. lean — to bend
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. plane — a tool
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. board — a committee
  15. cold — not warm
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. cold — an illness
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. lean — thin

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