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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. season — in sport
  5. roll — a list
  6. dip — to sink
  7. season — of the year
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. foot — a measure
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. clip — to cut
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. plane — a tool
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. stock — shares
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. stock — goods
  22. clip — a video
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. clip — for paper

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