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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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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: fall · row · hide · mug · plane · bowl · trunk · nail

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. mug — a cup
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mug — a face
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mug — to rob
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. row — a line
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fall — to drop
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. row — to paddle
  21. fall — the season
  22. plane — a tool
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. hide — animal skin

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