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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.

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: plane · dip · cabinet · stick · cap · leaves · spring · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. spring — a coil
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. spring — of water
  9. bore — to tire
  10. plane — a tool
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. dip — to sink
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bore — to drill
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. spring — the season
  24. cap — of ice

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