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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. file — a document
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. file — a line of people
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. chip — for betting
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. plane — a tool
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. season — of the year
  20. file — a tool
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cabinet — ministers

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