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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cold · drill · lean · press · craft · plane · deal · ball

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. cold — not warm
  3. drill — a practice
  4. craft — a skill
  5. plane — a tool
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. lean — thin
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. press — a publisher
  14. craft — boats
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. drill — the tool
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. press — to push
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. ball — a great time
  21. lean — to bend
  22. ball — a dance
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. press — newspapers

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