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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. tear — to rip
  3. club — a group
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. scale — size or range
  6. club — for dancing
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. plane — a tool
  15. fall — the season
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. tear — from crying
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. mate — to breed
  20. fall — to drop
  21. scale — in music
  22. club — for golf
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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