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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 120 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: can · hand · net · rush · rock · saw · craft · drill

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. rock — a stone
  7. can — to be able to
  8. drill — a practice
  9. net — in sport
  10. saw — the tool
  11. can — a tin
  12. rush — hurry
  13. can — a tin
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. net — for catching
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. saw — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. net — after costs
  21. drill — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. hand — help
  24. rock — music

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