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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 116 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: nail · last · tube · plane · bear · spell · spring · bay

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. spring — the season
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. plane — a tool
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — of water
  9. last — to go on
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. spell — letters
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. last — final
  16. bear — the animal
  17. tube — a container
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. last — finally
  24. spell — magic

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