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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. field — for sport
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — money
  9. sharp — clever
  10. plane — a tool
  11. field — a subject
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. mark — a trace
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. field — farmland
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. mark — a grade

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