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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stand — to bear
  4. club — a group
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. ball — a great time
  10. swing — in golf
  11. club — for dancing
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. swing — to play on
  14. club — for golf
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. swing — music
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. kick — in football
  22. plane — a tool
  23. ball — a dance
  24. drill — a practice

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