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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. field — for sport
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. plane — a tool
  11. firm — a company
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. squash — to crush
  14. firm — steady
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — farmland
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. firm — decided
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. squash — the sport

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