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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. fall — to drop
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. mine — for digging
  5. plane — a tool
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — of a word
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. root — the cause

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