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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 120 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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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 · plane · land · pit · row · mug · wind · capital

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. mug — to rob
  3. wind — moving air
  4. land — a country
  5. capital — money
  6. plane — a tool
  7. row — to paddle
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. wind — moving air
  11. row — a line
  12. land — ground
  13. capital — a city
  14. mug — a face
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pit — in a race
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. mug — a cup
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. land — to come down
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pit — a hole

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