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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 120 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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. drill — a practice
  4. fine — all right
  5. bulb — for light
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. chair — a leader
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fine — high quality
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. last — finally
  13. drill — the tool
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. wound — an injury
  17. last — final
  18. plane — a tool
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. drill — army training
  24. last — to go on

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