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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 116 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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. spell — letters
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. spell — magic
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. saw — the tool
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. row — a line
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. face — to confront
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. scale — size or range
  17. saw — the tool
  18. face — part of the head
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. scale — in music
  21. face — to point toward
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. row — to paddle
  24. spell — a short time

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