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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. hand — help
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. plane — a tool
  8. hand — in cards
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. nail — for a hammer

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