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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. swing — in golf
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. drill — army training
  5. swing — music
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. swing — to play on
  10. mate — a friend
  11. lean — to bend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. kid — child
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. kid — to tease
  21. drill — a practice
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pitch — completely
  24. drill — the tool

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