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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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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: object · cabinet · jam · plane · tear · wind · drill · cell

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. object — a thing
  3. drill — army training
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. plane — a tool
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. tear — from crying
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. object — to protest
  18. tear — to rip
  19. drill — the tool
  20. tear — from crying
  21. drill — a practice
  22. object — an aim
  23. cell — a phone
  24. plane — an aircraft

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