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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. drill — army training
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bore — to drill
  9. drill — a practice
  10. plane — a tool
  11. sharp — clever
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. drill — the tool
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bore — to tire
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. club — for golf

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