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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: bowl · plane · leaves · track · cell · craft · mate · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. cell — in biology
  4. drill — a practice
  5. mate — to breed
  6. track — a song
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. track — to keep track
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. mate — a friend
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cell — a phone
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. track — a path
  17. craft — a skill
  18. plane — a tool
  19. craft — boats
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. drill — army training
  24. bowl — a football final

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