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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. spring — of water
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. capital — money
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. march — the month
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. press — to push
  16. plane — a tool
  17. press — newspapers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. spring — the season
  20. capital — a city
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. spring — a coil
  24. press — a publisher

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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