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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. rest — what's left
  4. club — a group
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. net — in sport
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rest — a break
  9. land — to come down
  10. club — for golf
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rest — what's left
  13. land — a country
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wind — moving air
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. club — for dancing
  18. land — ground
  19. net — for catching
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. net — after costs
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wind — moving air

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