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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. drill — the tool
  4. plane — a tool
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — a permit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. dip — to sink
  9. drill — a practice
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. drill — army training
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. cue — a signal
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. cue — a hint
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. cue — for pool
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. mine — belonging to me

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