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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. object — a thing
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. field — a subject
  8. key — the most important part
  9. object — to protest
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. key — for a lock
  13. field — for sport
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. object — an aim
  18. field — farmland
  19. bear — the animal
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. key — in music
  24. bat — in an idiom

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