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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — a group
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. plane — a tool
  12. charge — in control
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. club — for dancing
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. charge — a price
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. charge — electricity
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. plane — an aircraft

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