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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. plane — a tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. kick — in football
  5. bulb — for light
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wind — moving air
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rash — a series
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — money
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. wind — moving air
  18. drill — army training
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. capital — a big letter

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