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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. plane — a tool
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. drill — the tool
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. drill — army training
  17. game — a match
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. drill — a practice
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mouse — 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