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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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. craft — a skill
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. drill — the tool
  6. chest — of your body
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. craft — boats
  9. drill — a practice
  10. chest — of your body
  11. wound — an injury
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. chest — a box
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rock — a stone
  21. drill — army training
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. can — a tin
  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