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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. key — in music
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. chip — to eat
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. drill — army training
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. key — the most important part
  13. game — wild animals
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. tear — from crying
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. tear — from crying
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chip — for betting
  21. present — there
  22. key — for a lock
  23. tear — to rip
  24. game — a match

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