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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 120 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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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: row · rest · pass · bear · arm · craft · drill · nail

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. drill — a practice
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bear — the animal
  5. row — a line
  6. rest — a break
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. craft — boats
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. craft — a skill
  15. drill — army training
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. rest — what's left
  19. drill — the tool
  20. row — to paddle
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — a permit
  24. nail — for a hammer

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