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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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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. drill — army training
  5. craft — boats
  6. wound — an injury
  7. craft — a skill
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wake — a trail
  12. season — in sport
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. plane — a tool
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. wound — an injury
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. season — of the year
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. arm — a part of something

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