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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. capital — money
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. face — to point toward
  8. kid — child
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. drill — army training
  12. kid — to tease
  13. face — part of the head
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. face — to confront
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. drill — a practice
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. drill — the tool
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. capital — a city
  24. arm — part of the body

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