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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. plane — a tool
  4. row — to paddle
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. file — a document
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. spell — magic
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. row — a line
  13. rash — hasty
  14. file — a line of people
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. file — a tool
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. spell — a short time
  19. firm — a company
  20. spell — letters
  21. rash — a series
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. row — a quarrel

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