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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 116 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — the fish
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lean — thin
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. kid — to tease
  8. bass — low music
  9. game — wild animals
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. kid — child
  12. cap — of ice
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. scale — in music
  15. lean — to bend
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. cap — a hat
  19. scale — size or range
  20. game — a match
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. cap — a lid

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