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

Word bank: pitcher · net · cold · bowl · plane · nail · spell · pass

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. plane — a tool
  4. cold — not warm
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. spell — letters
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. net — after costs
  12. cold — an illness
  13. net — for catching
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. spell — magic
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. net — in sport
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bowl — a dish

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