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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. squash — to crush
  4. plane — a tool
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. wake — a trail
  7. shower — rain
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. shower — to wash
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — army training
  17. squash — the sport
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. deal — to handle
  24. plane — in geometry

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