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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: bass · lie · saw · plane · patient · rule · drill · bat

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. drill — the tool
  8. rule — a law
  9. bat — the animal
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bass — the fish
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. drill — army training
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bass — low music
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. rule — government

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