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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. suit — clothes
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. content — happy
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. suit — in cards
  10. craft — boats
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — help
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. suit — to fit
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. game — a match
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. content — the amount
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. craft — a skill

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