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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. track — a path
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. bass — the fish
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bark — to shout
  17. season — of the year
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. track — a song
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — low music
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. hide — animal skin

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