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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. track — a path
  3. track — a song
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. object — an aim
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. track — to keep track
  8. object — a thing
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. object — to protest
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. shower — to wash
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. shower — rain
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. toast — bread

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