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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — tied together
  4. toast — bread
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bound — obliged
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pit — a hole
  13. plane — a tool
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. 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