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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: date · craft · drill · fall · trunk · mine · chip · present

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. present — the time now
  3. drill — the tool
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. date — the fruit
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. drill — army training
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. drill — a practice
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — there
  17. chip — for betting
  18. craft — a skill
  19. chip — to eat
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. fall — to drop
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — for digging

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