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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: plane · fork · drill · sharp · band · squash · jam · face

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — the tool
  3. band — a ring
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. squash — the sport
  6. plane — a tool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. face — part of the head
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. drill — a practice
  15. sharp — clever
  16. squash — to crush
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. band — a music group
  19. face — to point toward
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. face — to confront

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