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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 124 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. drill — the tool
  3. cap — a lid
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — for digging
  7. prune — to trim
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. plane — a tool
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mug — to rob
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. drill — army training
  16. lie — to recline
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mug — a cup
  19. cap — of ice
  20. mug — a face
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cap — a hat
  24. drill — a practice

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