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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  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. toast — a drink to someone
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. ground — a position
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. craft — boats
  13. stock — shares
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. craft — a skill
  19. toast — bread
  20. ground — crushed
  21. kick — in football
  22. stock — goods
  23. ground — the earth
  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