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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. squash — the sport
  3. sharp — clever
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pop — soda
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. stock — goods
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pop — to visit
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. squash — to crush
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pop — music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. stock — shares
  24. squash — the vegetable

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