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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. spell — letters
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — for catching
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lie — to recline
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. spell — a short time
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. net — in sport
  22. spell — magic
  23. chair — a leader
  24. wave — of the sea

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