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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: march · mug · file · hide · wave · can · kid · plane

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. plane — a tool
  4. mug — a face
  5. can — to be able to
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. march — music
  9. file — a line of people
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. march — the month
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — to tease
  19. can — a tin
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. mug — a cup
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. march — the month

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