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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. swing — in golf
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. club — a group
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. swing — music
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — to confront
  10. club — for golf
  11. prune — to trim
  12. club — for dancing
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. scale — size or range
  17. face — part of the head
  18. plane — a tool
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. swing — to play on
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. prune — to trim
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — in music

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