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

Word bank: nail · pit · row · rest · plane · field · leaves · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. rest — what's left
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. row — to paddle
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pit — in a race
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. pit — a hole
  15. rest — what's left
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. row — a line
  18. rest — a break
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. field — a subject
  24. 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