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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. wake — a trail
  3. craft — boats
  4. ground — a position
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. ground — crushed
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. track — a path
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. drill — a practice
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. drill — army training
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. deal — to handle
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. ground — the earth
  23. craft — a skill
  24. deal — an agreement

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