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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. drill — the tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. drill — a practice
  6. fall — the season
  7. bat — the animal
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. drill — army training
  10. fine — all right
  11. foot — a measure
  12. pass — a permit
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. fine — high quality
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. plane — an aircraft

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