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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. file — a line of people
  4. firm — a company
  5. track — to keep track
  6. firm — steady
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. board — to get on
  9. firm — decided
  10. plane — a tool
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. file — a document
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — to handle
  20. file — a tool
  21. track — a song
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. track — a path

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