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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. spring — a coil
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. dip — to sink
  12. plane — a tool
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. spring — of water
  16. roll — a cake
  17. spring — the season
  18. roll — a list
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fork — in a road
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. fork — to eat with

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