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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: drill · mouse · plane · pop · craft · racket · last · tear

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. craft — a skill
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. tear — from crying
  5. craft — boats
  6. plane — a tool
  7. tear — to rip
  8. last — finally
  9. pop — soda
  10. drill — the tool
  11. tear — from crying
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pop — music
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — army training
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pop — to visit
  24. craft — a handicraft

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