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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 116 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. drill — a practice
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. spring — of water
  8. plane — a tool
  9. spring — the season
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. capital — a city
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. drill — the tool
  16. spring — a coil
  17. key — in music
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. capital — money
  22. drill — army training
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. kick — in football

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