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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. last — final
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. can — to be able to
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. charge — a price
  11. fine — high quality
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. charge — in control
  14. bear — the animal
  15. plane — a tool
  16. last — to go on
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bear — the animal
  19. charge — electricity
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. can — a tin
  22. last — finally
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — in geometry

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