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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. present — there
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. press — to push
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. field — for sport
  12. roll — a cake
  13. field — a subject
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — a gift
  17. field — farmland
  18. roll — a list
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — newspapers
  24. plane — in geometry

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