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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wind — moving air
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. clip — a video
  8. plane — a tool
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — a leader
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. saw — the tool
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. clip — for paper
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. clip — to cut
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wind — moving air
  24. fan — to cool the air

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