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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. spring — a coil
  4. pop — to visit
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bat — the animal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. spring — the season
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. pop — music
  19. lean — thin
  20. pop — soda
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. spring — of water
  24. lean — to rest against

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