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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: sharp · suit · pit · wake · drill · cabinet · craft · clip

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. drill — army training
  3. clip — to cut
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. drill — the tool
  6. sharp — clever
  7. suit — to fit
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. suit — in cards
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. clip — for paper
  13. craft — boats
  14. pit — in a race
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. clip — a video
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pit — a hole
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. drill — a practice
  24. suit — clothes

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