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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. drill — army training
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. file — a line of people
  5. pop — music
  6. last — finally
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. drill — the tool
  9. last — final
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. file — a tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. ball — a dance
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. file — a document
  17. drill — a practice
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ball — a great time
  24. last — to go on

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