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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. pop — soda
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. pop — to visit
  5. face — to point toward
  6. band — a ring
  7. pop — music
  8. face — to confront
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fork — in a road
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. plane — a tool
  17. band — a music group
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. present — the time now
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. face — part of the head
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — an aircraft

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