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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: drill · plane · racket · toast · mug · pass · row · cold

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. cold — not warm
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — a face
  5. drill — a practice
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. mug — to rob
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. pass — a permit
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. plane — a tool
  13. row — to paddle
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. toast — bread
  16. row — a line
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. drill — the tool
  23. cold — an illness
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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