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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 the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. fine — all right
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. fork — in a road
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. net — for catching
  11. plane — a tool
  12. net — after costs
  13. clip — for paper
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. clip — a video
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fine — high quality
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. clip — to cut
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. net — in sport
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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