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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bore — to tire
  7. shower — to wash
  8. row — a line
  9. bore — to drill
  10. shower — rain
  11. track — a path
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rule — government
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. coach — a trainer

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