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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 120 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: cap · dip · clip · board · shower · plane · nail · track

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. plane — a tool
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. shower — rain
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — a hat
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. track — to keep track
  11. cap — of ice
  12. shower — to wash
  13. clip — to cut
  14. board — a committee
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — for paper
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. board — to get on
  19. dip — to sink
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. board — a flat piece

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