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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. rock — music
  5. ground — a position
  6. mine — for digging
  7. plane — a tool
  8. cap — of ice
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bank — for money
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cap — a hat
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ground — the earth
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rock — a stone
  21. cap — a lid
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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