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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: game · can · hide · plane · shower · drill · mine · sharp

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. drill — the tool
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. game — a match
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. drill — army training
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. mine — for digging
  16. can — a tin
  17. sharp — clever
  18. shower — rain
  19. game — wild animals
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. can — a tin
  22. drill — a practice
  23. shower — to wash
  24. hide — to keep secret

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