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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. rash — a series
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. prune — to trim
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. prune — to trim
  11. court — of law
  12. cell — in biology
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. rash — hasty
  18. cell — a phone
  19. pound — a weight
  20. plane — a tool
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. deal — to handle

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