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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. mine — for digging
  3. drill — army training
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. drill — the tool
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. rock — music
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. drill — a practice
  10. plane — a tool
  11. swing — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. swing — in golf
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. swing — to play on

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