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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. content — the amount
  4. wake — a trail
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. pit — in a race
  8. lie — to recline
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the sport
  15. content — happy
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pit — a hole
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. kid — child
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. squash — the vegetable

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