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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 120 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  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. plane — in geometry
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rest — a break
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rest — what's left
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. board — to get on
  9. can — a tin
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. board — a committee
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rest — what's left
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. plane — a tool
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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