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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mark — a trace
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. degree — temperature
  13. mark — a grade
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. plane — a tool
  16. row — a line
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. degree — an amount
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. degree — from a university
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. safe — a strongbox

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