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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fork — in a road
  3. kick — in football
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the sport
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. dip — to sink
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bass — the fish
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bass — low music

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