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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. plane — a tool
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. pass — a permit
  17. root — the cause
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. root — of a word
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. sharp — clever

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