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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. craft — a skill
  3. drill — army training
  4. wound — an injury
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. craft — boats
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. deal — to handle
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. face — to confront
  16. wound — an injury
  17. drill — a practice
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. drill — the tool
  22. face — to point toward
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — a trail

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