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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. staff — employees
  3. ground — the earth
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. staff — a stick
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. staff — employees
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. drill — a practice
  10. pop — music
  11. plane — a tool
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pop — soda
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. drill — army training
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — a position

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