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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. plane — a tool
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. shower — rain
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rush — hurry
  18. fall — to drop
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. wind — moving air
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. nail — on a finger

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