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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pop — soda
  4. bank — for money
  5. drill — the tool
  6. cold — an illness
  7. pop — music
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cold — not warm
  10. bank — of a river
  11. tube — a container
  12. cell — a phone
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. drill — a practice
  15. pop — to visit
  16. cell — in biology
  17. tube — the underground
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bank — for money
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — a company
  23. drill — army training
  24. firm — steady

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