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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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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 · bay · pop · track · racket · snap · plane

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. last — finally
  3. pop — to visit
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pop — soda
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. track — a song
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. last — final
  14. track — to keep track
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. last — to go on
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. track — a path
  23. pop — music
  24. snap — to click

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