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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — a tool
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. march — the month
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. rock — music
  10. march — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. tube — a container
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. lean — thin
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — to protest
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. lean — to bend
  24. tube — the underground

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