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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. shower — to wash
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. plane — a tool
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. scale — in music
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. mug — a cup
  12. scale — size or range
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. shower — rain
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. mug — a face
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. foot — a measure
  22. cap — a lid
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. plane — in geometry

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