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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. spell — a short time
  8. band — a ring
  9. drill — a practice
  10. kick — in football
  11. scale — size or range
  12. band — a music group
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. spell — letters
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. spell — magic
  17. drill — the tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. scale — in music
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. drill — army training
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — the underground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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