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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 · safe · degree · chest · rock · club · plane · prune

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. chest — of your body
  3. plane — a tool
  4. degree — an amount
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. degree — from a university
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chest — a box
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. chest — of your body
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. degree — temperature
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. prune — to trim
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — a group
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — a stone

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