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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. ground — the earth
  3. drill — a practice
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. ground — a position
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. court — of a king
  8. net — in sport
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. plane — a tool
  11. court — for sport
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ground — crushed
  17. drill — army training
  18. net — for catching
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. net — after costs
  22. court — of law
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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