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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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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: roll · cell · bat · craft · trunk · drill · nail · mate

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. mate — to breed
  3. craft — a skill
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bat — the animal
  8. mate — a friend
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cell — a phone
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. drill — the tool
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. craft — boats
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — a list
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. drill — army training
  24. mate — a partner

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