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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 120 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. key — in music
  4. content — the amount
  5. wind — moving air
  6. plane — a tool
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. staff — employees
  12. pound — a weight
  13. key — the most important part
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wind — moving air
  16. staff — a stick
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. content — happy
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. staff — employees
  24. dip — to sink

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