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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: tear · saw · drill · field · can · track · fan · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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 — a handicraft
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. craft — boats
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. field — a subject
  10. can — a tin
  11. track — to keep track
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — farmland
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. track — a song
  17. drill — the tool
  18. track — a path
  19. drill — army training
  20. craft — a skill
  21. can — a tin
  22. tear — from crying
  23. can — to be able to
  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