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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 116 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. race — a contest
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — the arms race
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. snap — to click
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — in cards
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. scale — size or range
  14. hand — help
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rock — music
  23. scale — in music
  24. rock — a stone

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