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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. field — farmland
  3. board — to get on
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. drill — a practice
  8. field — a subject
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. board — a committee
  11. lean — to bend
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pound — a weight
  16. drill — army training
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. lean — thin
  22. field — for sport
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pound — to hit hard

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