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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.

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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. mate — a friend
  3. current — of water
  4. ball — a dance
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mate — a partner
  8. current — electric
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. tear — from crying
  12. fork — in a road
  13. tear — to rip
  14. mate — to breed
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. current — happening now
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a trace
  23. ball — a round shape
  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