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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. chest — a box
  5. plane — a tool
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. row — to paddle
  9. current — electric
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rest — what's left
  12. current — happening now
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chest — of your body
  18. current — of water
  19. chest — of your body
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. rest — a break
  23. row — a line
  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