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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 116 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.

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: rush · chair · land · bulb · calf · drill · rash · plane

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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. rash — a series
  2. drill — army training
  3. plane — a tool
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. land — to come down
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. land — ground
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bulb — for light
  16. drill — the tool
  17. land — a country
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. chair — a leader
  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