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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 · tear · ruler · craft · fan · fall · chair · mark

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. drill — army training
  3. mark — a trace
  4. drill — a practice
  5. craft — a skill
  6. tear — from crying
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mark — a grade
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. tear — from crying
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. craft — boats
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fall — the season
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. tear — to rip
  18. fall — to drop
  19. drill — the tool
  20. chair — a leader
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fall — to drop

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