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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  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. net — in sport
  2. drill — army training
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. current — electric
  5. drill — a practice
  6. season — of the year
  7. plane — a tool
  8. can — a tin
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. race — the arms race
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. race — humankind
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. current — happening now
  15. lie — to recline
  16. can — a tin
  17. current — of water
  18. net — for catching
  19. season — in sport
  20. race — a contest
  21. can — to be able to
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. net — after costs
  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