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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. present — there
  6. roll — a cake
  7. tear — from crying
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fine — high quality
  12. drill — a practice
  13. tear — to rip
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. drill — the tool
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. fine — all right
  18. present — the time now
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. roll — a list
  22. drill — army training
  23. present — a gift
  24. plane — a tool

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