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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. ground — crushed
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. ground — the earth
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lean — thin
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. cap — a hat
  12. plane — a tool
  13. ground — a position
  14. dip — to sink
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rock — music
  20. lean — to bend
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. temple — side of the head

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