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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. object — a thing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. spring — the season
  10. bank — for money
  11. object — to protest
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bank — for money
  17. spring — of water
  18. bank — of a river
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pass — a permit
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. plane — a tool
  24. scale — in music

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