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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wake — a trail
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. swing — to play on
  7. stock — goods
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stock — shares
  13. bank — for money
  14. swing — in golf
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bank — for money
  17. swing — music
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bank — of a river
  24. plane — a tool

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