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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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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. plane — a tool
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fall — the season
  6. last — final
  7. last — to go on
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. track — a song
  10. drill — the tool
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — to push
  13. fall — to drop
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. key — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. track — a path
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. fall — to drop
  20. press — a publisher
  21. track — to keep track
  22. last — finally
  23. key — the most important part
  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