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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. toast — bread
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mine — for digging
  6. drill — the tool
  7. present — a gift
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. drill — army training
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. drill — a practice
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — belonging to me

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