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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bear — the animal
  9. dip — to sink
  10. stand — to bear
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. shower — to wash
  17. plane — a tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. key — in music
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. shower — rain
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. wave — of the sea

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