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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. net — in sport
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. can — to be able to
  5. plane — a tool
  6. roll — a list
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. can — a tin
  9. present — there
  10. roll — a cake
  11. net — after costs
  12. spell — a short time
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. present — the time now
  15. can — a tin
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. spell — letters
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. net — for catching
  21. present — a gift
  22. spell — magic
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to sink

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