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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 120 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: plane · wave · drill · present · fan · dip · bat · tear

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — a practice
  3. present — a gift
  4. bat — the animal
  5. tear — to rip
  6. present — the time now
  7. dip — to sink
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. present — there
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. drill — the tool
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. tear — from crying
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. tear — from crying
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. plane — a tool

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