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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. squash — the sport
  4. drill — army training
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. squash — to crush
  7. can — a tin
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. can — to be able to
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. wax — to grow
  12. can — a tin
  13. chip — to eat
  14. craft — a skill
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. craft — boats
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. chip — for betting
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. drill — the tool

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