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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: chest · root · cabinet · craft · nail · drill · last · bay

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. root — the cause
  3. last — to go on
  4. drill — army training
  5. chest — a box
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. craft — a skill
  12. last — finally
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. last — final
  15. drill — the tool
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. root — of a word
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. drill — a practice

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