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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. spell — letters
  8. shower — rain
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. season — in sport
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. season — of the year
  14. scale — in music
  15. stand — to bear
  16. shower — to wash
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. spell — magic
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. plane — a tool
  21. date — the fruit
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. spell — a short time
  24. scale — size or range

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