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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 120 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. tube — a container
  5. last — final
  6. ground — the earth
  7. last — to go on
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. last — finally
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. fine — high quality
  21. plane — a tool
  22. tube — the underground
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fine — all right

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