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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 116 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: squash · craft · bowl · pass · bark · fall · last · drill

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. last — to go on
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. pass — a permit
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. fall — to drop
  8. craft — a skill
  9. squash — to crush
  10. craft — boats
  11. fall — the season
  12. drill — a practice
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. last — final
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. drill — army training
  20. squash — the sport
  21. last — finally
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bark — to shout
  24. squash — the vegetable

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