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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: firm · nail · fork · plane · mouse · wound · march · bore

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. march — the month
  3. wound — an injury
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — a tool
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — steady
  8. march — the month
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. firm — a company
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. march — music
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — a garden tool

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