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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 120 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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stock — shares
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. row — a line
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. row — to paddle
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. stock — goods

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