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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. club — for dancing
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pass — a permit
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. drill — a practice
  11. chest — a box
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. plane — a tool
  15. club — for golf
  16. drill — the tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rock — music
  20. drill — army training
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. club — a group
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rock — a stone

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