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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. drill — the tool
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. craft — a skill
  8. drill — a practice
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. wake — a trail
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bass — the fish
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. drill — army training
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. craft — boats
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the instrument

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