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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. suit — clothes
  3. present — there
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. plane — a tool
  7. field — a subject
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. snap — to click
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. clip — to cut
  14. present — the time now
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. field — for sport
  17. suit — in cards
  18. fall — to drop
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — for paper
  21. present — a gift
  22. suit — to fit
  23. field — farmland
  24. fall — to drop

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