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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bulb — for light
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cap — of ice
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. cap — a lid
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. plane — a tool
  12. staff — employees
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bulb — for light
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. staff — employees
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. sharp — clever
  22. cap — a hat
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. racket — for tennis

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