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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. plane — a tool
  5. cap — a hat
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. club — for golf
  9. squash — to crush
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. cap — of ice
  14. scale — in music
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. cold — an illness
  17. club — for dancing
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. club — a group
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. squash — the sport
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cold — not warm
  24. hide — to keep secret

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