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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bass — the fish
  4. key — for a lock
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fall — to drop
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bass — low music
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. plane — a tool
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. rush — hurry
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — in music
  20. fall — the season
  21. lean — thin
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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