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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: foot · date · drill · mate · wake · craft · hand · rest

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. drill — a practice
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. date — the fruit
  8. mate — a partner
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. craft — a skill
  13. foot — a measure
  14. craft — boats
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mate — to breed
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — help
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. mate — a friend

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