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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. plane — a tool
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. chair — a leader
  15. mine — for digging
  16. object — to protest
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bear — the animal
  19. object — an aim
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. object — a thing
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. wave — of the sea

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