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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. season — in sport
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. march — music
  10. rush — hurry
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. band — a ring
  14. chip — for betting
  15. season — of the year
  16. plane — a tool
  17. band — a music group
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. chip — to eat
  22. march — the month
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. march — the month

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