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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: craft · wound · drill · ruler · fan · press · straw · chip

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. drill — army training
  8. chip — for betting
  9. wound — an injury
  10. drill — the tool
  11. wound — an injury
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. press — to push
  16. craft — a skill
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. press — a publisher
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. press — newspapers
  23. craft — boats
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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