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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  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. mug — a cup
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mug — to rob
  4. chair — a leader
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mug — a face
  7. shower — rain
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. fall — to drop
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. suit — to fit
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. fall — to drop
  15. suit — clothes
  16. present — the time now
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. present — there
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. present — a gift
  21. fall — the season
  22. suit — in cards
  23. shower — to wash
  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