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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.

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: date · craft · spell · arm · coach · drill · stick · cabinet

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. spell — magic
  3. craft — a skill
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. date — the fruit
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. drill — the tool
  10. spell — a short time
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. drill — army training
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. spell — letters
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. drill — a practice
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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