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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. board — a committee
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. last — to go on
  8. board — to get on
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. last — final
  11. net — after costs
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. net — in sport
  14. last — finally
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. drill — army training
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. net — for catching
  21. drill — the tool
  22. mine — for digging
  23. drill — a practice
  24. mine — an explosive

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