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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. drill — the tool
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. craft — boats
  5. bat — the animal
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. season — in sport
  10. firm — steady
  11. bass — the fish
  12. drill — army training
  13. firm — decided
  14. season — of the year
  15. bass — low music
  16. craft — a skill
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. drill — a practice

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