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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. land — ground
  4. season — in sport
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. chest — of your body
  8. plane — a tool
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. season — of the year
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. land — a country
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. chest — of your body
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. chest — a box
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. land — to come down
  24. plane — an aircraft

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