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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fine — all right
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. roll — a cake
  8. drill — the tool
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a list
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. craft — boats
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fine — high quality
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. saw — the tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. craft — a skill
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. foot — a measure

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