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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: wound · deal · current · mark · craft · stand · drill · band

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. deal — to handle
  4. craft — a skill
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stand — to bear
  7. drill — army training
  8. mark — a trace
  9. current — electric
  10. drill — a practice
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. drill — the tool
  14. current — of water
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. band — a ring
  19. craft — boats
  20. current — happening now
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mark — a grade
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. deal — an agreement

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