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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 120 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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. last — to go on
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. board — to get on
  6. vault — a safe
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. mine — for digging
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. stem — to come from
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. last — final
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. board — a committee
  23. last — finally
  24. stem — of a plant

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