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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: row · firm · craft · drill · face · saw · stem · chest

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. drill — army training
  5. craft — a skill
  6. chest — a box
  7. firm — decided
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — to paddle
  11. saw — the tool
  12. firm — steady
  13. saw — the tool
  14. firm — a company
  15. stem — to come from
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. chest — of your body
  18. craft — boats
  19. drill — the tool
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — part of the head
  23. drill — a practice
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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