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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. shower — rain
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. shower — to wash
  5. file — a tool
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. file — a line of people
  8. wake — a trail
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. file — a document
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. root — the cause
  16. saw — the tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. root — of a word
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. root — of a plant
  24. saw — the tool

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