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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 120 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bore — to drill
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. swing — to play on
  7. root — of a word
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. root — the cause
  11. bore — to tire
  12. firm — steady
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — decided
  18. root — of a plant
  19. swing — in golf
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. wind — moving air
  23. plane — a tool
  24. swing — music

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