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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · saw · nail · last · swing · mate · racket · plane

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — finally
  3. mate — to breed
  4. plane — a tool
  5. swing — music
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. saw — the tool
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rash — hasty
  14. last — final
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mate — a partner
  17. swing — to play on
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. swing — in golf
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mate — a friend
  22. rash — a series
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. plane — in geometry

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