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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: track · drill · plane · cabinet · saw · race · bowl · spell

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. drill — a practice
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. race — humankind
  8. track — to keep track
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. plane — a tool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. track — a song
  14. spell — a short time
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. drill — the tool
  19. race — a contest
  20. drill — army training
  21. spell — letters
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. spell — magic

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