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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. cue — a hint
  5. firm — decided
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bound — obliged
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. drill — army training
  10. tear — to rip
  11. race — the arms race
  12. cue — a signal
  13. tear — from crying
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. firm — a company
  16. cue — for pool
  17. race — humankind
  18. drill — a practice
  19. tear — from crying
  20. drill — the tool
  21. firm — steady
  22. bound — tied together
  23. plane — a tool
  24. race — a contest

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