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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.

Make a worksheet

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: plane · mine · calf · march · field · pass · drill · ruler

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. plane — a tool
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mine — for digging
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. march — the month
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. field — a subject
  13. pass — a permit
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — the tool
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. drill — a practice

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