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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. craft — boats
  3. drill — the tool
  4. tube — the underground
  5. current — electric
  6. fall — to drop
  7. object — to protest
  8. fall — to drop
  9. plane — a tool
  10. object — a thing
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. current — happening now
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. object — an aim
  16. tube — a container
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. drill — a practice
  20. fall — the season
  21. current — of water
  22. craft — a skill
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. tube — in a tire

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