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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. tube — a container
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rock — music
  9. tear — to rip
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. spell — letters
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. lie — to recline
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bass — low music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. spell — magic
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. tube — the underground
  24. lie — an untruth

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