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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. plane — a tool
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. roll — a list
  6. track — to keep track
  7. present — a gift
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. drill — army training
  10. roll — a cake
  11. drill — the tool
  12. track — a song
  13. present — there
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. dip — to sink
  18. present — the time now
  19. drill — a practice
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. can — to be able to
  22. track — a path
  23. mouse — the animal
  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