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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bear — the animal
  3. plane — a tool
  4. net — after costs
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. cue — a hint
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bear — the animal
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. degree — temperature
  16. net — in sport
  17. degree — an amount
  18. net — for catching
  19. squash — to crush
  20. wound — an injury
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wound — an injury
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. degree — from a university

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