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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. plane — a tool
  7. wind — moving air
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wind — moving air
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fork — in a road
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. fork — to eat with
  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