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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. can — a tin
  3. plane — a tool
  4. can — a tin
  5. row — to paddle
  6. can — to be able to
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. degree — from a university
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. degree — temperature
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — shares
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. row — a line
  22. degree — an amount
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. mine — for digging

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