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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. drill — the tool
  5. pop — to visit
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. scale — in music
  11. fine — high quality
  12. drill — army training
  13. dip — to sink
  14. fine — all right
  15. pop — music
  16. drill — a practice
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. land — ground
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. plane — a tool
  21. scale — size or range
  22. pop — soda
  23. land — a country
  24. land — to come down

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