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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. can — a tin
  3. march — the month
  4. ground — a position
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. can — to be able to
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. plane — a tool
  11. scale — in music
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. ground — the earth
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bound — certain
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. march — music
  21. ground — crushed
  22. march — the month
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. can — a tin

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