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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. root — of a word
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. drill — the tool
  6. root — the cause
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. present — a gift
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a skill
  11. chest — of your body
  12. lean — thin
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. present — the time now
  15. chest — of your body
  16. lean — to bend
  17. drill — army training
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. present — there
  23. root — of a plant
  24. chest — a box

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