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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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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 · rest · wound · board · tear · wax · key

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rest — what's left
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — army training
  7. rest — a break
  8. key — for a lock
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. key — the most important part
  11. plane — a tool
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. board — a committee
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. wax — to grow
  20. tear — from crying
  21. drill — the tool
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. key — in music

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