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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. hand — help
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. season — of the year
  9. lie — to recline
  10. snap — to click
  11. bat — the animal
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. craft — boats
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. plane — a tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. craft — a skill
  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