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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.

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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: staff · craft · lie · deal · mate · perch · root · drill

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. root — of a word
  3. mate — a partner
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mate — to breed
  6. staff — a stick
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. craft — a skill
  10. drill — a practice
  11. staff — employees
  12. mate — a friend
  13. drill — army training
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. root — of a plant
  16. deal — to handle
  17. drill — the tool
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. lie — to recline
  20. craft — boats
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. root — the cause

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