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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. track — a path
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. plane — a tool
  5. track — a song
  6. drill — a practice
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. track — to keep track
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. drill — army training
  15. spell — letters
  16. date — the fruit
  17. spell — a short time
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mark — a grade
  22. spell — magic
  23. mark — a trace
  24. game — a match

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