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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. wound — an injury
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. plane — a tool
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. net — after costs
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pass — a permit
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. net — in sport
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. net — for catching
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bear — the animal

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