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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: lie · plane · swing · date · nail · mouse · ground · bat

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bat — the animal
  4. swing — to play on
  5. ground — the earth
  6. plane — a tool
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — music
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. ground — crushed
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lie — to recline
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. ground — a position
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. date — the fruit
  24. plane — in geometry

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