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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 help me carry this box?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a line of people
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. craft — boats
  10. can — a tin
  11. file — a tool
  12. can — a tin
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. last — final
  15. plane — a tool
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. spring — of water
  18. last — to go on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. spring — the season
  21. last — finally
  22. spring — a coil
  23. craft — a skill
  24. nail — on a finger

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