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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. object — to protest
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rush — hurry
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. track — a song
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. object — a thing
  14. plane — a tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. object — an aim
  17. foot — a measure
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. track — to keep track
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. track — a path
  24. plane — an aircraft

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