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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. drill — army training
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. can — to be able to
  5. spell — letters
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. drill — a practice
  8. toast — bread
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. can — a tin
  13. race — humankind
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. race — a contest
  17. spell — a short time
  18. plane — a tool
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. race — the arms race
  22. spell — magic
  23. branch — a division
  24. drill — the tool

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