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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. march — the month
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. can — a tin
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. march — music
  7. mark — a grade
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. can — a tin
  10. march — the month
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. drill — the tool
  15. plane — a tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. drill — a practice
  19. mark — a trace
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. present — the time now
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. plane — in geometry

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