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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 116 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. drill — a practice
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. drill — the tool
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. craft — a skill
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. craft — boats
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to click
  20. bore — to drill
  21. drill — army training
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bore — to tire
  24. lie — to recline

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