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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mug — a face
  4. staff — employees
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. hand — help
  7. staff — employees
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mug — to rob
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. staff — a stick
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. prune — to trim
  18. saw — the tool
  19. plane — a tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bear — the animal
  23. saw — the tool
  24. nail — on a finger

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