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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 120 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bark — to shout
  4. stem — to come from
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — a company
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. tear — from crying
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. hand — help
  23. firm — steady
  24. nail — for a hammer

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