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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 · stick · suit · pass · drill · current · hand · spell

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. drill — a practice
  3. current — happening now
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. drill — army training
  7. craft — a skill
  8. suit — in cards
  9. drill — the tool
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. current — of water
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. suit — to fit
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. spell — a short time
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. spell — magic
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pass — a permit
  21. hand — help
  22. spell — letters
  23. hand — in cards
  24. current — electric

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