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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 120 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. land — a country
  6. drill — a practice
  7. land — ground
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. land — to come down
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pass — a permit
  13. craft — boats
  14. drill — the tool
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. drill — army training
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. rush — hurry
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — to spend time

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