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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 116 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. drill — army training
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pound — a weight
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cold — not warm
  11. sharp — clever
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cold — an illness
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. drill — the tool
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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