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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hand — in cards
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. charge — a price
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. squash — to crush
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. charge — electricity
  15. band — a music group
  16. hand — help
  17. charge — in control
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. plane — a tool
  22. squash — the sport
  23. band — a ring
  24. bear — the animal

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