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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: spell · tube · craft · drill · leaves · saw · track · straw

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. spell — a short time
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. craft — boats
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. drill — the tool
  7. track — a path
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. saw — the tool
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. drill — army training
  12. tube — the underground
  13. track — to keep track
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. craft — a skill
  16. drill — a practice
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. saw — the tool
  20. track — a song
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. spell — letters
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. spell — magic

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