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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pit — a hole
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fall — to drop
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. plane — a tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. tube — a container
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. march — the month
  21. drill — army training
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. fall — the season

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