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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 · fine · staff · jam · rush · spell · can · plane

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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. fine — high quality
  2. spell — letters
  3. drill — army training
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. spell — a short time
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. staff — employees
  8. rush — hurry
  9. spell — magic
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. can — a tin
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. can — to be able to
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. plane — a tool
  17. can — a tin
  18. fine — all right
  19. staff — a stick
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. staff — employees
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. drill — the tool
  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