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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lie — to recline
  4. plane — a tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. root — of a plant
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. game — wild animals
  11. key — for a lock
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. saw — the tool
  18. game — a match
  19. key — the most important part
  20. root — the cause
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. key — in music
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. root — of a word

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