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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. land — ground
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. swing — to play on
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. drill — the tool
  9. land — a country
  10. land — to come down
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. swing — music
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. drill — a practice
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. swing — in golf
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  24. drill — army training

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