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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pop — to visit
  4. can — to be able to
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. stem — to come from
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. plane — a tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. season — in sport
  24. can — a tin

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