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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. mark — a trace
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. mark — a grade
  12. drill — army training
  13. sharp — clever
  14. hand — in cards
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. fork — in a road
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. plane — in geometry

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