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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. present — a gift
  3. drill — a practice
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bound — obliged
  6. race — the arms race
  7. present — there
  8. race — a contest
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. drill — army training
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bat — the animal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bound — certain
  15. bear — the animal
  16. present — the time now
  17. race — humankind
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bound — tied together
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. temple — side of the head

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