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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. mark — a trace
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. plane — a tool
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. cell — a phone
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pop — music
  21. cell — in biology
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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