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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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bore — to tire
  5. march — the month
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bore — to drill
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. plane — a tool
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. date — the fruit
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. shower — rain
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. shower — to wash
  23. rash — hasty
  24. hide — to keep secret

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