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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. row — to paddle
  3. lie — to recline
  4. craft — a skill
  5. row — a line
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a line of people
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. file — a document
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. craft — boats
  15. clip — a video
  16. drill — a practice
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. clip — for paper
  20. drill — army training
  21. plane — a tool
  22. rock — a stone
  23. clip — to cut
  24. rock — music

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