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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. plane — a tool
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wound — an injury
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. saw — the tool
  15. vault — a safe
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pitch — completely
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — a division
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wound — an injury
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. branch — of a tree

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