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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 120 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. drill — army training
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. rest — what's left
  13. march — the month
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. rest — what's left
  18. march — the month
  19. craft — a skill
  20. rest — a break
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. craft — boats
  23. march — music
  24. drill — the tool

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