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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
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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: dip · mug · cold · pit · object · plane · cap · roll

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mug — a cup
  4. roll — a cake
  5. pit — in a race
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pit — a hole
  10. mug — a face
  11. cap — a hat
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. object — to protest
  14. dip — to sink
  15. cold — not warm
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. object — an aim
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. mug — to rob
  20. cap — of ice
  21. object — a thing
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cap — a lid
  24. roll — a list

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