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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: hand · ball · rock · drill · rush · plane · present · net

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. plane — a tool
  3. net — after costs
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. present — the time now
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — in cards
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. net — for catching
  11. drill — army training
  12. present — a gift
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. present — there
  15. net — in sport
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. ball — a dance
  22. drill — the tool
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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