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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. shower — to wash
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — the animal
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. foot — a measure
  23. shower — rain
  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