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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. drill — the tool
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. snap — to click
  12. file — a document
  13. drill — army training
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pit — a hole
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. drill — a practice
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pit — in a race
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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