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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. club — for dancing
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. club — a group
  8. foot — a measure
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. saw — the tool
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. plane — a tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. club — for golf
  24. mark — to pay attention

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