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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. kid — child
  6. suit — clothes
  7. net — for catching
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. net — in sport
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. craft — boats
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. branch — a division
  16. kid — to tease
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. drill — a practice
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. net — after costs
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. craft — a skill
  24. suit — to fit

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