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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. clip — a video
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — a tool
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. clip — for paper
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. pop — to visit
  13. land — to come down
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. clip — to cut
  16. land — ground
  17. pop — soda
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. land — a country
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pop — music
  22. row — a line
  23. fork — in a road
  24. dip — a sauce

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