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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pit — a hole
  4. drill — army training
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. drill — a practice
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. saw — the tool
  13. craft — a skill
  14. staff — a stick
  15. wake — a trail
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. staff — employees
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. craft — boats
  20. wind — moving air
  21. drill — the tool
  22. staff — employees
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. snap — to click

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