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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: land · spell · trunk · tear · craft · drill · dip · pound

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. pound — a weight
  3. drill — a practice
  4. spell — a short time
  5. drill — the tool
  6. land — ground
  7. craft — a skill
  8. land — a country
  9. drill — army training
  10. spell — letters
  11. land — to come down
  12. craft — boats
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. spell — magic
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. dip — to sink
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a car

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