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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pit — a hole
  7. capital — a city
  8. drill — a practice
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bound — tied together
  11. plane — a tool
  12. capital — money
  13. bound — obliged
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pit — in a race
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. drill — army training
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. drill — the tool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bound — certain

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