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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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Word bank
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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. file — a document
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. file — a tool
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bass — the fish
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — to shout
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bass — low music
  23. plane — in geometry
  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