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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: capital · plane · ball · drill · land · bore · shower · rash

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. capital — money
  3. shower — rain
  4. bore — to drill
  5. land — a country
  6. shower — to wash
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. drill — army training
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. drill — the tool
  13. bore — to tire
  14. land — to come down
  15. rash — a series
  16. drill — a practice
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. ball — a dance
  21. capital — a city
  22. ball — a great time
  23. land — ground
  24. rash — hasty

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