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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. saw — the tool
  5. plane — a tool
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. root — of a word
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. root — of a plant
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bass — low music
  21. root — the cause
  22. season — of the year
  23. dip — to sink
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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