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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: coach · tube · content · drill · nail · fall · plane · pit

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. drill — the tool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. fall — to drop
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. tube — a container
  11. fall — the season
  12. tube — the underground
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. content — the amount
  15. pit — in a race
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pit — a hole
  18. drill — army training
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. drill — a practice
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. plane — a tool
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. content — happy

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