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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. row — a line
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. drill — the tool
  5. suit — clothes
  6. drill — army training
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spring — of water
  9. row — to paddle
  10. craft — a skill
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. spring — the season
  13. drill — a practice
  14. mate — a friend
  15. spring — a coil
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. suit — to fit
  18. rash — a series
  19. craft — boats
  20. rash — hasty
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. suit — in cards
  24. row — a quarrel

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