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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: season · plane · roll · nail · mouse · wind · craft · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. plane — a tool
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a cake
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. roll — a list
  9. drill — army training
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. craft — a skill
  12. season — of the year
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. drill — the tool
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wind — moving air
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. wind — moving air
  21. season — in sport
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. craft — boats

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