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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 116 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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. stock — shares
  4. fork — in a road
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. cap — a hat
  9. stock — goods
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. dip — to sink
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bore — to tire
  20. rest — what's left
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bore — to drill

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