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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 124 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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. club — a group
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stand — to bear
  6. club — for dancing
  7. shower — rain
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. club — for golf
  11. shower — to wash
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. spring — the season
  16. bulb — for light
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bore — to tire

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