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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. plane — a tool
  3. spell — magic
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. hand — help
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. season — of the year
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. spell — letters
  13. season — in sport
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. spell — a short time
  17. wind — moving air
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — to protest
  20. wind — moving air
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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