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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. plane — a tool
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. shower — rain
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. rest — what's left
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. hand — help
  18. shower — to wash
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. hand — in cards
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bark — to shout

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