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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. rash — hasty
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. row — to paddle
  5. craft — boats
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. track — a song
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — to rob
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mug — a face
  16. drill — army training
  17. craft — a skill
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. row — a line
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. rash — a series
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. drill — a practice
  24. stem — to come from

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