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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bear · prune · racket · bat · leaves · plane · race · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. prune — to trim
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. drill — army training
  5. bat — the animal
  6. race — humankind
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. race — a contest
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bear — the animal
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bear — the animal

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