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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bass — low music
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. plane — a tool
  5. object — a thing
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bass — the fish
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. roll — a list
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — to tease
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. object — to protest
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. roll — a cake
  18. staff — employees
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. row — to paddle
  22. staff — employees
  23. object — an aim
  24. staff — a stick

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