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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.

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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bore — to drill
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bore — to tire
  13. season — of the year
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. object — to protest
  18. plane — a tool
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. season — in sport
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. plane — in geometry

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