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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bore — to drill
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. key — in music
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. file — a document
  11. plane — a tool
  12. club — for golf
  13. bore — to tire
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. file — a tool
  17. key — for a lock
  18. tube — the underground
  19. club — for dancing
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. file — a line of people

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