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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. row — a line
  3. saw — the tool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — a tool
  6. fine — high quality
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. object — an aim
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. object — to protest
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. row — to paddle
  20. fine — all right
  21. mine — for digging
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. saw — the 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