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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. land — to come down
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. land — ground
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. craft — boats
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. plane — a tool
  13. cap — a lid
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. craft — a skill
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fork — in a road
  22. mark — a grade
  23. cap — a hat
  24. land — a country

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