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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: nail · perch · plane · wake · drill · saw · squash · rock

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. squash — the sport
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. saw — the tool
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wake — a trail
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. drill — a practice
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. drill — army training
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. squash — to crush
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. drill — the tool
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. plane — an aircraft

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