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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: clip · foot · pitcher · rest · hide · hand · mate · plane

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. plane — a tool
  4. clip — for paper
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rest — a break
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mate — a friend
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. hand — in cards
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mate — to breed
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. hand — help
  18. mate — a partner
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. clip — a video
  23. foot — a measure
  24. clip — to cut

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