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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. craft — boats
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. firm — decided
  6. kick — in football
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. rush — hurry
  11. can — a tin
  12. craft — a skill
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. firm — steady
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. firm — a company
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. craft — a handicraft

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