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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. staff — employees
  5. present — the time now
  6. drill — a practice
  7. staff — a stick
  8. race — humankind
  9. staff — employees
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. present — there
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. race — a contest
  16. drill — army training
  17. squash — to crush
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. squash — the sport
  21. present — a gift
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. race — the arms race

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