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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 116 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
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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: rash · chair · trunk · fan · deal · craft · drill · swing

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. deal — to handle
  8. drill — a practice
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rash — a series
  14. swing — in golf
  15. craft — a skill
  16. chair — a leader
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. swing — music
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. drill — army training
  21. craft — boats
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. swing — to play on

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