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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. plane — a tool
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — final
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. deal — to handle
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the sport
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rest — a break
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. rest — what's left
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. last — finally

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