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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: net · bear · plane · mouse · row · dip · field · straw

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. net — for catching
  4. plane — a tool
  5. field — a subject
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. net — in sport
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — a line
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. field — for sport
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. net — after costs
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bear — the animal
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. field — farmland

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