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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 116 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. drill — the tool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. drill — army training
  5. craft — boats
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bear — the animal
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. bear — the animal
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. drill — a practice
  17. row — to paddle
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. lie — to recline
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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