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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. object — an aim
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. object — a thing
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mate — a partner
  10. cell — in biology
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. mate — to breed
  13. chair — a leader
  14. mate — a friend
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. object — to protest
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. plane — a tool
  22. dip — to sink
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bowl — a dish

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