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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's very handy with a ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. plane — a tool
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. rush — hurry
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. rest — what's left
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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