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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ground — the earth
  9. drill — army training
  10. plane — a tool
  11. ground — crushed
  12. firm — decided
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. ground — a position
  21. cold — an illness
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — a company

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