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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. game — a match
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. face — to confront
  17. deal — to handle
  18. wind — moving air
  19. game — wild animals
  20. wind — moving air
  21. plane — a tool
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — part of the head
  24. plane — in geometry

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