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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cap — a hat
  8. key — in music
  9. roll — a list
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. wound — an injury
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cap — a lid
  17. wound — an injury
  18. plane — a tool
  19. roll — a cake
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. key — the most important part
  24. nail — for a hammer

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