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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. tube — a container
  3. ball — a great time
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bat — the animal
  7. drill — army training
  8. clip — a video
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. clip — to cut
  11. ball — a dance
  12. object — a thing
  13. tube — the underground
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. drill — a practice
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. object — to protest
  23. drill — the tool
  24. object — an aim

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