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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. scale — size or range
  3. band — a music group
  4. scale — in music
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. lean — thin
  9. chip — for betting
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. rash — hasty
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. lean — to bend
  22. rash — a series
  23. chip — to eat
  24. band — a ring

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