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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.

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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: chip · race · face · plane · band · drill · mug · saw

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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. face — to point toward
  4. race — a contest
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mug — to rob
  7. drill — the tool
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. mug — a cup
  14. drill — a practice
  15. chip — for betting
  16. band — a music group
  17. race — the arms race
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. saw — the tool
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. mug — a face
  23. band — a ring
  24. race — humankind

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