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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — the arms race
  5. tube — a container
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hand — in cards
  8. plane — a tool
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. board — to get on
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. hand — help
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. race — humankind
  18. face — part of the head
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. tube — the underground
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. board — a committee
  24. pass — to succeed

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