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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. mug — a face
  8. suit — to fit
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mug — to rob
  11. lean — to bend
  12. suit — clothes
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mug — a cup
  16. plane — a tool
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lean — thin
  19. chip — for betting
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — to come from
  22. tube — a container
  23. suit — in cards
  24. chip — to eat

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