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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. march — the month
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bark — to shout
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. march — music
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. plane — a tool
  16. mate — to breed
  17. march — the month
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mate — a partner
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — humankind

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