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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. swing — music
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. drill — a practice
  8. chip — to eat
  9. swing — in golf
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. swing — to play on
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pop — soda
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pop — music
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. drill — army training
  24. pop — to visit

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