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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 116 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. lean — thin
  3. drill — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wound — an injury
  7. lean — to bend
  8. plane — a tool
  9. object — an aim
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. drill — army training
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. last — final
  14. object — to protest
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. last — to go on
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. last — finally
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. object — a thing
  24. wave — of the sea

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