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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. drill — the tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. drill — a practice
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. key — for a lock
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. present — a gift
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. present — the time now
  15. drill — army training
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. key — the most important part
  21. present — there
  22. key — in music
  23. lie — to recline
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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