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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. rest — what's left
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. rock — music
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. wind — moving air
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wind — moving air
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. vault — a safe
  15. rock — a stone
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. net — after costs
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rest — a break
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. mine — for digging

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