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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. land — a country
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pound — a weight
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — a tool
  10. squash — the sport
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. squash — to crush
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mug — a face
  15. degree — from a university
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — ground
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. degree — temperature
  23. mug — a cup
  24. degree — an amount

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