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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. plane — a tool
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wind — moving air
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. wind — moving air
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. row — a line
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. scale — size or range
  19. row — to paddle
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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