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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. can — a tin
  3. fall — to drop
  4. hand — in cards
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. fall — to drop
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. can — to be able to
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — music
  18. can — a tin
  19. plane — a tool
  20. craft — a skill
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. hand — help
  24. fall — the season

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