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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 120 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. cap — a lid
  4. can — a tin
  5. bulb — for light
  6. face — to confront
  7. cap — of ice
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. can — a tin
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. can — to be able to
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — part of the head
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. cap — a hat
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bulb — for light
  24. trunk — of a tree

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