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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ground — the earth
  3. plane — a tool
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. board — to get on
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. land — ground
  10. ground — a position
  11. land — a country
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. ball — a dance
  17. kick — in football
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — for digging
  20. ground — crushed
  21. land — to come down
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. board — a committee

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