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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. net — after costs
  13. plane — a tool
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. net — for catching
  16. pop — soda
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. net — in sport

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