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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. drill — army training
  4. staff — employees
  5. object — a thing
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. object — to protest
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. object — an aim
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. present — a gift
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. drill — the tool
  19. staff — employees
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. drill — a practice
  22. staff — a stick
  23. plane — a tool
  24. calf — a young animal

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