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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — farmland
  5. deal — to handle
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. hand — in cards
  11. current — of water
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. current — happening now
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. hand — help
  16. current — electric
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. field — for sport
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — an agreement

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