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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 · fine · kick · land · lash · stick · craft · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. fine — high quality
  4. land — a country
  5. fall — the season
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. drill — a practice
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. drill — army training
  10. land — to come down
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. kick — in football
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — all right
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. drill — the tool
  20. craft — boats
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. fall — to drop
  23. craft — a skill
  24. land — ground

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