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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. face — to point toward
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. face — to confront
  9. plane — a tool
  10. track — to keep track
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. track — a path
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. can — a tin
  16. track — a song
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. can — a tin
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. face — part of the head
  23. can — to be able to
  24. perch — the fish

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