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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. present — a gift
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. land — ground
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rest — a break
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. land — a country
  14. stand — to bear
  15. land — to come down
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. rest — what's left
  18. plane — a tool
  19. wound — an injury
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wound — an injury
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — there

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