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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. rock — a stone
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rock — music
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. field — for sport
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — farmland
  21. saw — the tool
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. plane — a tool
  24. patient — a sick person

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