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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. ground — a position
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ground — crushed
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. rash — a series
  23. ground — the earth
  24. plane — an aircraft

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