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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. chest — of your body
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fall — to drop
  13. chest — a box
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. chest — of your body
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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