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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.

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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: drill · plane · game · fine · last · bulb · hand · wave

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. drill — a practice
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — final
  5. game — a match
  6. last — finally
  7. drill — the tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. game — wild animals
  14. plane — a tool
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bulb — for light
  17. drill — army training
  18. bulb — for light
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. fine — high quality
  23. hand — help
  24. wave — of the sea

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