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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. charge — a price
  8. dip — to sink
  9. file — a line of people
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bat — the animal
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — electricity
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mark — a grade
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a tool
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a trace
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. saw — the tool

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