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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. race — a contest
  4. present — there
  5. cue — a hint
  6. root — of a word
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. cue — a signal
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. present — a gift
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. root — of a plant
  14. cue — for pool
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. race — humankind
  20. root — the cause
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bark — to shout
  23. present — the time now
  24. plane — a tool

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