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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bear — the animal
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. march — the month
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. rest — a break
  15. march — music
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ball — a great time
  19. march — the month
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. roll — a cake
  22. rest — what's left
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a round shape

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