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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. present — the time now
  6. fall — the season
  7. hand — help
  8. present — there
  9. plane — a tool
  10. drill — the tool
  11. cap — of ice
  12. drill — army training
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cap — a lid
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rock — music
  18. fall — to drop
  19. hand — in cards
  20. spell — letters
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. spell — magic
  23. drill — a practice
  24. rock — a stone

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