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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. spring — the season
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. spring — of water
  9. wake — a trail
  10. net — for catching
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fall — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. net — in sport
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. net — after costs
  21. fall — to drop
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fall — to drop

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