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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: saw · craft · pass · plane · mine · toast · drill · pitcher

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. craft — boats
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pass — a permit
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. craft — a skill
  17. toast — bread
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — for digging

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