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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: rest · pound · bay · foot · drill · sharp · craft · squash

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pound — a weight
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. foot — a measure
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rest — what's left
  14. drill — army training
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. craft — boats
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. rest — a break
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. rest — what's left

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