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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. mate — a friend
  3. plane — a tool
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. cap — of ice
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mate — to breed
  11. row — a line
  12. drill — a practice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. kick — in football
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. drill — army training
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. row — to paddle
  21. mate — a partner
  22. cap — a hat
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — a thrill

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