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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — a tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. drill — a practice
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — army training
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. mine — for digging
  17. march — the month
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. file — a tool
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. file — a document
  24. foot — a measure

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