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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.

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: march · tube · safe · plane · spell · firm · spring · drill

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — a short time
  3. firm — steady
  4. spring — a coil
  5. march — music
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. drill — the tool
  11. plane — a tool
  12. spring — the season
  13. tube — a container
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. march — the month
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. tube — the underground
  18. firm — decided
  19. spring — of water
  20. march — the month
  21. drill — a practice
  22. spell — letters
  23. firm — a company
  24. drill — army training

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