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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. band — a ring
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. swing — music
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. swing — to play on
  10. plane — a tool
  11. band — a music group
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. swing — in golf
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. cap — of ice
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. rush — hurry
  21. cap — a hat
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. cap — a lid

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