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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. pop — soda
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. mug — a face
  17. fork — in a road
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. lie — to recline
  20. pop — to visit
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pop — music

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