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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. ground — crushed
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mark — a trace
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. game — a match
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. ground — the earth
  9. staff — a stick
  10. ground — a position
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — wild animals
  13. staff — employees
  14. mark — a grade
  15. staff — employees
  16. mine — for digging
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — a series

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