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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cell — a phone
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — to handle
  14. plane — a tool
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bass — the fish
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bass — low music
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. hide — animal skin
  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