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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. staff — employees
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. tube — the underground
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. wax — to grow
  14. staff — employees
  15. pass — a permit
  16. staff — a stick
  17. tube — a container
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. drill — the tool
  21. plane — a tool
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. drill — a practice
  24. pass — to spend time

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