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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 124 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. saw — the tool
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. present — there
  7. capital — money
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. capital — a city
  16. present — the time now
  17. squash — the sport
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. present — a gift
  23. squash — to crush
  24. plane — a tool

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