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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. season — in sport
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. land — a country
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. land — ground
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. land — to come down
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. season — of the year
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. plane — in geometry

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