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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — soda
  4. file — a document
  5. firm — a company
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. drill — the tool
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. shower — rain
  11. drill — a practice
  12. plane — a tool
  13. drill — army training
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pop — music
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. shower — to wash
  19. firm — steady
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. file — a tool
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. file — a line of people

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