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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. dip — to sink
  3. stand — to bear
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — a tool
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. saw — the tool
  8. charge — in control
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stock — goods
  12. tear — to rip
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stock — shares
  15. tear — from crying
  16. charge — electricity
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. tear — from crying
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lie — to recline
  24. charge — a price

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