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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. spring — a coil
  3. plane — a tool
  4. swing — in golf
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. spring — the season
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — a thing
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. object — an aim
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. spring — of water
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. squash — the sport
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. swing — music
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. plane — in geometry

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