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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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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: craft · drill · net · pit · spell · charge · fall · lean

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. fall — the season
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. spell — magic
  5. craft — boats
  6. spell — letters
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. net — in sport
  11. lean — to bend
  12. craft — a skill
  13. spell — a short time
  14. drill — army training
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a hole
  17. net — after costs
  18. charge — in control
  19. net — for catching
  20. fall — to drop
  21. charge — electricity
  22. fall — to drop
  23. drill — the tool
  24. charge — a price

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