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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. land — a country
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. hand — in cards
  5. can — a tin
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. cap — a lid
  8. land — to come down
  9. cap — a hat
  10. land — ground
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. hand — help
  15. key — in music
  16. can — to be able to
  17. cap — of ice
  18. key — the most important part
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. key — for a lock
  22. tear — from crying
  23. plane — a tool
  24. can — a tin

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