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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.

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: cold · plane · fall · suit · wake · staff · hide · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. staff — employees
  5. suit — in cards
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. suit — to fit
  9. fall — to drop
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cold — not warm
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. suit — clothes
  14. can — to be able to
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. wake — a trail
  17. can — a tin
  18. cold — an illness
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cold — the Cold War

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