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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: cap · drill · spell · bark · bay · rest · craft · plane

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. spell — letters
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. drill — army training
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bark — to shout
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. craft — boats
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. drill — the tool
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. cap — a lid
  22. spell — magic
  23. craft — a skill
  24. drill — a practice

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