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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. key — in music
  3. plane — a tool
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fall — to drop
  9. squash — to crush
  10. rock — a stone
  11. fall — the season
  12. squash — the sport
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. key — the most important part
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fall — to drop
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rock — music
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. nail — on a finger

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