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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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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: drill · bay · snap · craft · face · fork · pit · perch

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. face — part of the head
  3. drill — a practice
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. fork — in a road
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pit — in a race
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. face — to point toward
  14. drill — army training
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. perch — the fish
  17. craft — boats
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. face — to confront
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. drill — the tool
  24. craft — a handicraft

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