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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. can — to be able to
  3. court — for sport
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. field — a subject
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. plane — a tool
  11. swing — music
  12. field — farmland
  13. swing — to play on
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. hand — help
  16. court — of law
  17. can — a tin
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. field — for sport
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. can — a tin
  23. court — of a king
  24. swing — in golf

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