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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. spring — the season
  3. present — there
  4. present — the time now
  5. drill — army training
  6. present — a gift
  7. rock — a stone
  8. swing — in golf
  9. drill — the tool
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — a law
  12. plane — a tool
  13. rock — music
  14. spring — a coil
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. spring — of water
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. swing — to play on
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. swing — music
  23. roll — a cake
  24. drill — a practice

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