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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 116 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. present — there
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. present — the time now
  7. wake — a trail
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. band — a ring
  12. key — for a lock
  13. last — to go on
  14. band — a music group
  15. plane — a tool
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. key — the most important part
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. last — final
  21. key — in music
  22. net — after costs
  23. last — finally
  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