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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. fall — to drop
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wake — a trail
  10. cap — of ice
  11. charge — in control
  12. bear — the animal
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. charge — a price
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fall — the season
  17. plane — a tool
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. fall — to drop
  22. cap — a lid
  23. charge — electricity
  24. cap — a hat

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