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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. net — for catching
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. net — in sport
  7. rest — a break
  8. lean — thin
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — the arms race
  11. lean — to bend
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. net — after costs
  16. plane — a tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wax — to grow
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. drill — army training
  24. race — a contest

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