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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — a skill
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. band — a music group
  8. charge — electricity
  9. fall — the season
  10. drill — army training
  11. charge — a price
  12. craft — boats
  13. drill — a practice
  14. fall — to drop
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fall — to drop
  20. drill — the tool
  21. band — a ring
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. charge — in control
  24. date — the fruit

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