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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: snap · last · rush · bay · drill · craft · leaves · hand

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. rush — hurry
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. last — finally
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. hand — help
  12. drill — army training
  13. snap — to click
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. last — final
  17. craft — boats
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. hand — in cards
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. drill — the tool
  22. last — to go on
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. craft — a skill

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