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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. fall — the season
  3. saw — the tool
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cue — a hint
  7. scale — in music
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fall — to drop
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. band — a ring
  14. fall — to drop
  15. band — a music group
  16. cue — for pool
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. scale — size or range
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. cue — a signal
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. band — a rubber band

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