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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. lean — thin
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. swing — music
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pit — a hole
  9. lean — to bend
  10. plane — a tool
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. dip — to sink
  13. present — a gift
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. shower — to wash
  18. present — there
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. shower — rain
  21. swing — in golf
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. present — the time now

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