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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. swing — music
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. saw — the tool
  6. swing — to play on
  7. last — final
  8. last — to go on
  9. saw — the tool
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. drill — army training
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. shower — to wash
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. plane — a tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. shower — rain
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. swing — in golf
  23. last — finally
  24. fan — a supporter

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