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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. rock — a stone
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. kid — to tease
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. board — to get on
  13. rock — music
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — to wash
  21. board — a committee
  22. shower — rain
  23. kid — child
  24. plane — a tool

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