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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. degree — an amount
  7. game — a match
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. degree — from a university
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. degree — temperature
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. game — wild animals
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. swing — to play on
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. swing — music
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — to sink

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