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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 124 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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. firm — a company
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. root — of a plant
  8. wax — to grow
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. root — of a word
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. firm — decided
  13. root — the cause
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. firm — steady
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. date — the fruit
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. plane — a tool

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