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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 120 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 · mug · fine · lash · plane · wound · mine · scale

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  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. drill — army training
  2. scale — in music
  3. plane — a tool
  4. wound — an injury
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. drill — the tool
  10. mine — for digging
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. drill — a practice
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. mug — to rob
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mug — a face
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. fine — all right
  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