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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. net — for catching
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. drill — army training
  5. plane — a tool
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. ground — crushed
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ground — a position
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — happy
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. ground — the earth
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. content — the amount
  16. net — after costs
  17. band — a music group
  18. snap — to click
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. net — in sport
  22. band — a ring
  23. drill — a practice
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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