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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.

Make a worksheet

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: court · arm · mark · fan · object · plane · kick · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. court — of law
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. drill — the tool
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. object — a thing
  9. court — for sport
  10. mark — a trace
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. drill — army training
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. plane — a tool
  17. object — an aim
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. object — to protest
  22. kick — in football
  23. court — of a king
  24. mark — a grade

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