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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bore — to tire
  3. spell — magic
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bore — to drill
  6. spell — a short time
  7. kid — child
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. tear — from crying
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. plane — a tool
  18. tear — to rip
  19. spell — letters
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. kid — to tease
  24. squash — to crush

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