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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — the tool
  4. track — a song
  5. staff — employees
  6. squash — the sport
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. staff — a stick
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. net — in sport
  11. track — a path
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. staff — employees
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. drill — a practice
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. squash — to crush
  19. track — to keep track
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. plane — a tool
  23. snap — to click
  24. net — after costs

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