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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. saw — the tool
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — a thing
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bulb — for light
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — a practice
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. plane — a tool
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bulb — for light
  19. capital — a city
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. object — to protest
  23. capital — money
  24. hide — animal skin

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