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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. lean — to bend
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. craft — a skill
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. kid — to tease
  9. game — wild animals
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. drill — a practice
  15. game — a match
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. craft — boats
  18. present — a gift
  19. drill — army training
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. lean — thin
  22. present — the time now
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. present — there

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