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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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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: ground · pop · hand · toast · wind · craft · drill · staff

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. staff — employees
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. drill — the tool
  4. hand — in cards
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. staff — employees
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — music
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. ground — the earth
  12. drill — a practice
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. pop — soda
  16. drill — army training
  17. toast — bread
  18. wind — moving air
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. wind — moving air
  21. hand — help
  22. ground — a position
  23. staff — a stick
  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