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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. suit — in cards
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. plane — a tool
  5. board — a committee
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. suit — clothes
  8. clip — a video
  9. current — electric
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. current — happening now
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. suit — to fit
  17. current — of water
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — to cut
  20. mine — for digging
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. saw — the tool

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