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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. plane — a tool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. drill — the tool
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cell — in biology
  12. rock — a stone
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cell — a phone
  15. present — a gift
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. drill — a practice
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. present — there
  21. rock — music
  22. drill — army training
  23. present — the time now
  24. nail — for a hammer

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