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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. club — a group
  4. kid — child
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pop — music
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. season — in sport
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pop — to visit
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bark — to shout
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — for golf
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. pop — soda
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. season — of the year
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. kid — to tease
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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