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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: plane · wake · arm · mine · dip · suit · can · hand

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. hand — help
  4. suit — clothes
  5. mine — for digging
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — a trail
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. dip — to sink
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. can — a tin
  17. hand — in cards
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. suit — in cards

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