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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. plane — a tool
  6. track — a song
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. drill — a practice
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. track — to keep track
  12. drill — army training
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bear — the animal
  16. track — a path
  17. current — electric
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. drill — the tool
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. bear — the animal

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