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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. game — wild animals
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. tear — to rip
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fork — in a road
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. spell — letters
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. tear — from crying
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. game — a match
  15. vault — a safe
  16. tear — from crying
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. spell — magic
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. plane — a tool

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