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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. tear — to rip
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. plane — a tool
  5. rock — music
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. track — a song
  9. band — a ring
  10. track — to keep track
  11. tear — from crying
  12. board — to get on
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. rock — a stone
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bore — to drill
  18. board — a committee
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. track — a path
  23. band — a music group
  24. bore — to tire

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