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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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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: drill · arm · craft · fall · prune · nail · cap · present

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cap — a lid
  4. fall — the season
  5. cap — a hat
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. present — a gift
  10. fall — to drop
  11. craft — a skill
  12. drill — a practice
  13. fall — to drop
  14. prune — to trim
  15. present — the time now
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — army training
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. prune — to trim
  24. present — there

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