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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 116 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. plane — a tool
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a cup
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. chip — for betting
  15. mug — a face
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. chip — to eat

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