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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 120 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. tube — a container
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. drill — army training
  5. tube — the underground
  6. plane — a tool
  7. row — to paddle
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. row — a line
  11. spell — letters
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. spell — a short time
  21. drill — a practice
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. drill — the tool
  24. spell — magic

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