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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. net — after costs
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — of ice
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. cap — a hat
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. content — happy
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pitch — completely
  20. content — the amount
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — in sport

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