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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  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. wave — of the sea
  2. fork — in a road
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. scale — size or range
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. staff — employees
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rash — a series
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. staff — employees
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. staff — a stick
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — in music
  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