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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. file — a tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. plane — a tool
  6. wound — an injury
  7. land — ground
  8. bank — of a river
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. land — to come down
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. file — a document
  17. cap — of ice
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. cap — a hat
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. file — a line of people
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. land — a country
  24. cap — a lid

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