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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 120 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — the animal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mark — a trace
  7. hand — help
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. hand — in cards
  11. mark — a grade
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. lie — to recline
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. spell — letters
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — magic

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