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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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. race — a contest
  4. pop — to visit
  5. drill — army training
  6. pop — soda
  7. race — the arms race
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. mate — a friend
  12. drill — a practice
  13. race — humankind
  14. root — the cause
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pop — music
  17. cell — a phone
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mate — to breed
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. root — of a word
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. cell — in a prison

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