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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: calf · drill · plane · rock · tear · roll · wind · capital

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wind — moving air
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. tear — from crying
  11. drill — a practice
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. roll — a list
  14. capital — money
  15. rock — music
  16. capital — a city
  17. wind — moving air
  18. drill — army training
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. roll — a cake
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. roll — on a roll

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