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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. object — an aim
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — a tool
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. ground — a position
  7. bass — low music
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. ground — crushed
  11. clip — for paper
  12. kid — child
  13. bass — the fish
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. object — to protest
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. kid — to tease
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. clip — a video
  23. object — a thing
  24. prune — to trim

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