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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. plane — a tool
  4. rest — a break
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. chip — for betting
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rush — hurry
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. chip — to eat
  24. rush — a thrill

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