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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — help
  3. plane — a tool
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. band — a music group
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. mine — for digging
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. march — music
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. march — the month
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — to handle
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. band — a ring
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. march — the month

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