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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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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 · foot · tube · plane · cabinet · firm · hide · land

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. land — a country
  6. dip — to sink
  7. plane — a tool
  8. land — ground
  9. tube — a container
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. firm — decided
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. foot — a measure
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. land — to come down
  16. firm — steady
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. tube — the underground
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. hide — to keep secret

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