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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. wound — an injury
  3. dip — to sink
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. tube — the underground
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. file — a document
  9. swing — to play on
  10. tube — a container
  11. swing — in golf
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rush — hurry
  15. file — a tool
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. plane — a tool
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. swing — music
  23. file — a line of people
  24. wound — an injury

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