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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 120 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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. chest — a box
  4. lie — to recline
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. chest — of your body
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. chest — of your body
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. saw — the tool
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — an aircraft

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