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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pit — a hole
  6. snap — to click
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pit — in a race
  9. game — a match
  10. bear — the animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wind — moving air
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. plane — a tool
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bear — the animal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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