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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 120 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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cold — an illness
  4. chip — to eat
  5. kick — in football
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. object — to protest
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. object — an aim
  14. cold — not warm
  15. object — a thing
  16. mark — a trace
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mate — a friend
  23. chip — in a computer
  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