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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. drill — the tool
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. key — the most important part
  7. drill — a practice
  8. current — happening now
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. mine — for digging
  12. current — electric
  13. plane — a tool
  14. wound — an injury
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. key — for a lock
  17. drill — army training
  18. key — in music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. rock — music
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. current — of water

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