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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.

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: present · bowl · craft · drill · sharp · saw · root · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. sharp — clever
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. craft — boats
  10. present — a gift
  11. craft — a skill
  12. drill — army training
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. drill — a practice
  15. root — of a plant
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — the cause
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. cabinet — ministers

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