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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 116 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
468
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: present · bore · plane · row · fall · saw · staff · wound

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. present — the time now
  4. wound — an injury
  5. staff — employees
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. staff — employees
  8. bore — to tire
  9. present — there
  10. fall — to drop
  11. staff — a stick
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fall — the season
  14. saw — the tool
  15. row — to paddle
  16. fall — to drop
  17. saw — the tool
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. plane — a tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. present — a gift
  24. bore — to drill

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