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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. field — for sport
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. drill — a practice
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. field — farmland
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. craft — boats
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. craft — a skill
  24. field — a subject

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