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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bear — the animal
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. land — a country
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. rest — what's left
  10. toast — bread
  11. roll — a cake
  12. rest — what's left
  13. roll — a list
  14. bear — the animal
  15. plane — a tool
  16. rest — a break
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. land — ground
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. stem — to come from
  24. land — to come down

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