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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. spell — letters
  7. game — wild animals
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. cap — of ice
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. game — a match
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. spell — magic
  16. sharp — clever
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lie — to recline
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — a lid
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. spell — a short time
  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