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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pop — soda
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. root — the cause
  8. season — of the year
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pop — music
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pop — to visit
  13. fine — all right
  14. last — finally
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — of a plant
  18. last — to go on
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. last — final

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