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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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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: cap · spell · ball · nail · plane · stand · straw · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cap — a hat
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. spell — a short time
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. spell — letters
  7. ball — a great time
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spell — magic
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — of ice
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. stand — to bear
  22. ball — a dance
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. plane — a tool

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