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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bass — low music
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. wound — an injury
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — the tool
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bank — for money
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. track — to keep track
  17. craft — boats
  18. kick — in football
  19. wound — an injury
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. land — a country
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — ground

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