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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. chair — a leader
  3. mug — a cup
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wake — a trail
  12. mug — a face
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. plane — a tool
  16. content — happy
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. content — the amount
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mug — to rob

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