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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: drill · object · present · court · fall · deal · plane · bore

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. present — a gift
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. deal — to handle
  7. fall — the season
  8. drill — a practice
  9. object — a thing
  10. present — there
  11. object — to protest
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. plane — a tool
  17. present — the time now
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. drill — army training
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. drill — the tool
  22. object — an aim
  23. court — of a king
  24. deal — an agreement

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