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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. root — the cause
  7. rest — what's left
  8. scale — size or range
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. band — a ring
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rest — a break
  15. scale — in music
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. root — of a word
  19. rest — what's left
  20. swing — to play on
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. band — a music group
  24. wave — with your hand

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