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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 116 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mark — a grade
  4. plane — a tool
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. mark — a trace
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. cap — a hat
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — money
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a lid
  22. prune — to trim
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. hide — to keep secret

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