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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 116 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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. band — a ring
  5. row — a line
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. mate — a friend
  10. plane — a tool
  11. can — a tin
  12. mate — to breed
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. wake — a trail
  16. band — a music group
  17. can — a tin
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mate — a partner
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. row — to paddle
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. can — to be able to

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