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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. chair — a leader
  3. plane — a tool
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. cap — of ice
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bound — tied together
  8. cap — a lid
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bound — certain
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bound — obliged
  13. race — humankind
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bulb — for light
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. race — a contest
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bulb — for light
  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