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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · dip · lash · bear · wind · plane · hide · fork

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cap — a lid
  3. wind — moving air
  4. fork — in a road
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cap — a hat
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. plane — a tool
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cap — of ice
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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