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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. dip — to sink
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cap — a hat
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. plane — a tool
  23. perch — the fish
  24. cabinet — ministers

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