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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. date — the fruit
  3. wind — moving air
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mark — a grade
  7. cap — a lid
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cue — a signal
  13. wind — moving air
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cue — a hint
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pound — a weight
  18. plane — a tool
  19. cap — of ice
  20. mark — a trace
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. cue — for pool
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. cap — a hat

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