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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. march — the month
  3. spell — magic
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. board — to get on
  6. spell — letters
  7. cue — a hint
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. spell — a short time
  11. board — a committee
  12. cue — for pool
  13. rush — hurry
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. march — music
  18. cue — a signal
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. mine — for digging
  23. march — the month
  24. plane — a tool

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