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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. mine — belonging to me
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. drill — the tool
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. drill — army training
  8. race — humankind
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. roll — a cake
  11. race — the arms race
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. race — a contest
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. plane — a tool
  23. mouse — the animal
  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