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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hand — help
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. shower — rain
  10. scale — size or range
  11. hand — in cards
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. scale — in music
  17. bound — certain
  18. shower — to wash
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bound — obliged
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bound — tied together
  24. scale — for weighing

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