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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. fall — to drop
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. root — of a plant
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. root — the cause
  10. fall — the season
  11. plane — a tool
  12. root — of a word
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. fine — high quality
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. deal — to handle
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — thin
  23. fine — all right
  24. dip — to sink

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