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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. drill — the tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. march — music
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. cue — a hint
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. drill — army training
  12. cell — a phone
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. drill — a practice
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. march — the month
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — in biology
  20. toast — bread
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. plane — a tool

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