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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. present — the time now
  7. firm — a company
  8. scale — in music
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. scale — size or range
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. firm — steady
  14. present — a gift
  15. saw — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. present — there
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. drill — army training
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. saw — the tool
  22. plane — a tool
  23. dip — to sink
  24. firm — decided

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