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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. plane — a tool
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. shower — to wash
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. deal — to handle
  19. shower — rain
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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