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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. scale — in music
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. scale — size or range
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — boats
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. land — a country
  14. shower — rain
  15. land — ground
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. shower — to wash
  20. craft — a skill
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. rush — hurry
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. land — to come down

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