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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · foot · content · drill · tube · plane · craft · coach

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bear — the animal
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — a tool
  9. foot — a measure
  10. content — the amount
  11. craft — boats
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. content — happy
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. tube — a container
  22. drill — army training
  23. bear — the animal
  24. tube — the underground

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