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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. race — humankind
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. plane — a tool
  5. press — a publisher
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bat — the animal
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. craft — a skill
  12. race — a contest
  13. press — to push
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. race — the arms race
  18. press — newspapers
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. deal — to handle
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. craft — boats

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