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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. ball — a dance
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mark — a trace
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. mark — a grade
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ball — a great time
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. fall — to drop
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. pitch — completely
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. ball — a round shape

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