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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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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: cabinet · kick · sharp · squash · object · drill · plane · ground

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. object — a thing
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. ground — the earth
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. kick — in football
  7. squash — to crush
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. squash — the sport
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. object — an aim
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. ground — a position
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. ground — crushed
  20. drill — the tool
  21. plane — a tool
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. object — to protest
  24. sharp — clever

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