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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. race — a contest
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. drill — a practice
  6. row — a line
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. drill — the tool
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. row — to paddle
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. drill — army training
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. present — the time now
  18. ball — a dance
  19. present — a gift
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. race — the arms race
  22. present — there
  23. race — humankind
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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