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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · row · drill · chair · squash · track · plane · snap

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. row — to paddle
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. squash — to crush
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. track — to keep track
  7. plane — a tool
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. drill — army training
  10. track — a song
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. snap — to click
  13. can — to be able to
  14. track — a path
  15. chair — a leader
  16. row — a line
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. squash — the sport
  20. drill — a practice
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. can — a tin
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. can — a tin

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