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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. wake — a trail
  7. plane — a tool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. stand — to bear
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. mine — for digging
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — the sport
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. squash — to crush
  24. nail — for a hammer

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