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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. plane — a tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — the tool
  6. mark — a trace
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. season — of the year
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. content — the amount
  12. race — the arms race
  13. content — happy
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. season — in sport
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. race — humankind
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. race — a contest
  23. mark — a grade
  24. content — videos and posts

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