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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. spell — letters
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. spell — a short time
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. mine — for digging
  12. spell — magic
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. dip — to sink
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. lie — to recline
  19. plane — a tool
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. lie — an untruth

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