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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. plane — a tool
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. land — a country
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. tube — the underground
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. drill — a practice
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bound — tied together
  16. tube — a container
  17. drill — army training
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bound — certain
  22. drill — the tool
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. land — ground

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