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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. plane — a tool
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mug — to rob
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. last — to go on
  10. craft — boats
  11. mug — a cup
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. date — the fruit
  14. craft — a skill
  15. last — final
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pit — a hole
  18. wake — a trail
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pit — in a race
  24. last — finally

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