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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. chip — to eat
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. spring — the season
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bat — the animal
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — a group
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. sharp — clever
  19. chip — for betting
  20. club — for golf
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ball — a dance
  23. spring — of water
  24. sharp — with an edge

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