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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.

Make a worksheet

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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: jam · nail · plane · rash · wound · bat

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. rash — a series
  4. bat — the animal
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wound — an injury
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wound — an injury
  18. 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