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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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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: tear · chair · plane · cue · nail · drill · perch · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. tear — from crying
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. tear — to rip
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. chair — a leader
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. drill — the tool
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. plane — a tool
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. cue — a hint
  16. drill — army training
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cue — for pool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. cue — a signal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. plane — in geometry

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