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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. chair — a leader
  3. dip — to sink
  4. plane — a tool
  5. root — of a plant
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bass — the fish
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. root — of a word
  11. can — to be able to
  12. root — the cause
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. can — a tin
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. can — a tin
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bass — low music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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