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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: mug · leaves · craft · jam · straw · drill · row · mark

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. craft — boats
  3. row — to paddle
  4. drill — army training
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mug — a face
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. mark — a grade
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. row — a line
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mark — a trace
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. mug — a cup
  20. drill — a practice
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. craft — a skill
  24. row — a quarrel

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