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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. scale — in music
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. tear — from crying
  8. staff — employees
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. tear — to rip
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. tear — from crying
  14. swing — in golf
  15. staff — employees
  16. plane — a tool
  17. tube — the underground
  18. swing — music
  19. staff — a stick
  20. swing — to play on
  21. tube — a container
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — for betting
  24. scale — for weighing

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