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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 · chest · sharp · plane · rock · object · perch · can

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. object — an aim
  3. can — a tin
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. can — a tin
  6. rock — music
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. object — a thing
  9. drill — the tool
  10. rock — a stone
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — a tool
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. object — to protest
  18. perch — the fish
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. can — to be able to
  21. chest — a box
  22. drill — a practice
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your body

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