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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. suit — in cards
  6. root — of a word
  7. suit — clothes
  8. last — final
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. last — to go on
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. wound — an injury
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bat — the animal
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. last — finally
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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