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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. clip — a video
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bear — the animal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. clip — to cut
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bear — the animal
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — an aircraft

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