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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. drill — army training
  4. wind — moving air
  5. net — for catching
  6. snap — to click
  7. wind — moving air
  8. craft — boats
  9. net — after costs
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. craft — a skill
  12. net — in sport
  13. drill — a practice
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. pound — a weight
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. craft — a handicraft

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