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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. drill — the tool
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. drill — army training
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — goods
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. plane — a tool
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. present — the time now
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. drill — a practice
  17. club — for golf
  18. wax — to grow
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. club — for dancing
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. stock — shares
  23. club — a group
  24. present — there

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