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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: tear · wind · dip · mouse · nail · pop · bay · plane

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pop — music
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. tear — to rip
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. tear — from crying
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wind — moving air
  15. dip — to sink
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pop — to visit
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. tear — from crying
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pop — soda

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