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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. charge — a price
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. row — a line
  7. scale — in music
  8. wound — an injury
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — in control
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. plane — a tool
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. scale — size or range
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rush — hurry
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. plane — an aircraft

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