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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. last — final
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. last — to go on
  6. drill — the tool
  7. plane — a tool
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pass — a permit
  10. current — of water
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. current — happening now
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. current — electric
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. last — finally
  24. drill — army training

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