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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. rush — hurry
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. board — a committee
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. tear — from crying
  10. board — to get on
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rash — a series
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rash — hasty

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