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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  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. hide — animal skin
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. plane — a tool
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. row — a line
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mate — to breed
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. dip — to sink
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. chip — for betting
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pitch — completely
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mate — a friend
  22. chip — to eat
  23. row — to paddle
  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