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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 116 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: pit · land · rock · capital · plane · hide · coach · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. capital — a city
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rock — a stone
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pit — in a race
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. shower — to wash
  12. plane — a tool
  13. land — a country
  14. rock — music
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — ground
  23. capital — money
  24. plane — an aircraft

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