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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. plane — a tool
  5. land — to come down
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. land — ground
  18. craft — boats
  19. cap — of ice
  20. land — a country
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. craft — a skill
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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