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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 120 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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. plane — a tool
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. cold — not warm
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cold — an illness
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. rash — a series
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. rash — hasty

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