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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 120 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. squash — the sport
  5. can — a tin
  6. rash — a series
  7. can — to be able to
  8. rash — hasty
  9. shower — rain
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. capital — money
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. squash — to crush
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. can — a tin
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. drill — the tool
  22. capital — a city
  23. shower — to wash
  24. plane — a 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