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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. current — of water
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. current — happening now
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. rock — music
  14. dip — to sink
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pit — a hole
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. current — electric
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bass — low music
  23. pit — in a race
  24. dip — a sauce

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