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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 120 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
468
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: pit · drill · craft · wake · mine · plane · bass · arm

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. craft — a skill
  9. plane — a tool
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. drill — a practice
  13. mine — for digging
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. drill — the tool
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. drill — army training
  20. bass — the fish
  21. craft — boats
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bass — low music

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