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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. march — music
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. march — the month
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. craft — boats
  10. drill — army training
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. march — the month
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. craft — a skill
  19. fork — in a road
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. deal — to handle
  23. drill — a practice
  24. lash — to lash out

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