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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 116 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. race — the arms race
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. track — to keep track
  6. drill — a practice
  7. track — a song
  8. race — a contest
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. key — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. branch — a division
  14. race — humankind
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. plane — a tool
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. track — a path
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. key — the most important part
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. drill — army training

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