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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 120 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — a tool
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. march — music
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. key — the most important part
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. land — to come down
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. snap — to click
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pit — a hole
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. land — a country
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. key — for a lock
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. march — the month
  21. key — in music
  22. march — the month
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pit — in a race

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