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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — rain
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. dip — to sink
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — the tool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. last — finally
  17. plane — a tool
  18. last — to go on
  19. prune — to trim
  20. last — final
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. prune — the fruit

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