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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. cap — a lid
  3. prune — to trim
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pop — music
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bore — to tire
  10. cap — of ice
  11. track — a song
  12. track — a path
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. prune — to trim
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. pop — soda
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. pop — to visit
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. plane — an aircraft

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