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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. can — a tin
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fine — all right
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. can — a tin
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. fine — high quality
  16. deal — to handle
  17. plane — a tool
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wind — moving air
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. mine — for digging
  24. can — to be able to

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