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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. craft — a skill
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. last — finally
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. craft — boats
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. drill — a practice
  14. last — to go on
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. chip — to eat
  19. drill — army training
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chip — for betting
  22. lie — to recline
  23. drill — the tool
  24. nail — for a hammer

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