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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. track — a path
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. fork — in a road
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. plane — a tool
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rest — a break
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. wound — an injury
  15. track — to keep track
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. track — a song
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. sharp — clever
  24. plane — in geometry

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