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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · plane · rest · drill · bat · present · nail · leaves

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. drill — army training
  4. bat — the animal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. rest — a break
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. present — the time now
  11. plane — a tool
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. drill — a practice
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. drill — the tool
  16. present — a gift
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rest — what's left
  20. toast — bread
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. present — there
  24. rest — what's left

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