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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · plane · bear · dip · fork · pitcher · lie · land

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. land — ground
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. land — a country
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bear — the animal
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lie — to recline
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. land — to come down
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. kick — in football
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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