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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · nail · face · bowl · season · swing · plane · drill

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. face — to confront
  4. season — in sport
  5. swing — in golf
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. face — part of the head
  11. drill — the tool
  12. swing — to play on
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. face — to point toward
  16. season — of the year
  17. drill — army training
  18. swing — music
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. season — to add flavour

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