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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mug — to rob
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. plane — a tool
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. club — for golf
  13. clip — a video
  14. club — a group
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. mug — a cup
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. drill — army training
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pound — a weight
  22. clip — for paper
  23. drill — a practice
  24. pass — to succeed

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