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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 116 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. drill — a practice
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. drill — the tool
  5. mine — for digging
  6. drill — army training
  7. suit — in cards
  8. spell — a short time
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. fork — in a road
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. tube — the underground
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. plane — a tool
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. spell — magic
  19. tube — a container
  20. spell — letters
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. net — after costs
  23. suit — to fit
  24. fork — a garden 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