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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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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. craft — boats
  5. spring — the season
  6. craft — a skill
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. drill — the tool
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. land — ground
  11. spring — of water
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. charge — in control
  15. drill — army training
  16. row — a line
  17. land — a country
  18. charge — electricity
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. row — to paddle
  21. drill — a practice
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. spring — a coil
  24. charge — a price

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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