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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. plane — a tool
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. drill — army training
  13. bark — to shout
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. clip — for paper
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. drill — the tool
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. clip — a video
  24. ruler — for measuring

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