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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cold — an illness
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. court — of a king
  8. plane — a tool
  9. court — of law
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pound — a weight
  12. root — of a word
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. root — the cause
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. court — for sport
  23. cold — not warm
  24. root — of a plant

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