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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. tear — from crying
  6. spell — a short time
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. tear — to rip
  9. spell — letters
  10. craft — boats
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. staff — employees
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mine — for digging
  15. spell — magic
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. wound — an injury
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. tear — from crying
  23. craft — a skill
  24. mine — an explosive

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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