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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. kid — child
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. drill — the tool
  8. kid — to tease
  9. ground — the earth
  10. object — to protest
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. craft — a skill
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ground — crushed
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ground — a position
  20. drill — a practice
  21. object — an aim
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. object — a thing
  24. craft — boats

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