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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: cell · craft · lie · foot · swing · saw · drill · shower

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. craft — boats
  4. swing — music
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — rain
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. cell — in biology
  9. swing — to play on
  10. saw — the tool
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. drill — a practice
  14. saw — the tool
  15. shower — to wash
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. drill — the tool
  18. swing — in golf
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. drill — army training
  21. cell — a phone
  22. lie — to recline
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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