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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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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 · capital · race · fall · drill · pit · file · root

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. plane — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. fall — to drop
  6. root — the cause
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. root — of a word
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pit — in a race
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. capital — money
  18. race — the arms race
  19. capital — a city
  20. pit — a hole
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — a contest
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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