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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · drill · fork · kick · craft · file

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. drill — army training
  6. craft — a skill
  7. file — a tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. file — a line of people
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. file — a document
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. kick — in football

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