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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. last — final
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. land — a country
  5. land — to come down
  6. last — to go on
  7. lean — to bend
  8. land — ground
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lean — thin
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stock — goods
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. last — finally
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. stock — shares
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. pitcher — a jug

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