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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 116 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mine — for digging
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. spring — of water
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. field — for sport
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. craft — a skill
  14. spring — a coil
  15. field — a subject
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. spring — the season
  18. plane — a tool
  19. craft — boats
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mug — a face
  24. rush — hurry

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