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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. plane — a tool
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wake — a trail
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stock — goods
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. tear — to rip
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. tear — from crying
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. stock — shares
  24. hide — animal skin

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