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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. cap — of ice
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. cold — not warm
  7. land — a country
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. cap — a lid
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pop — soda
  13. mark — a grade
  14. plane — a tool
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pop — music
  17. land — to come down
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. mark — a trace
  21. rush — hurry
  22. land — ground
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pop — to visit

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