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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: chest · wake · craft · drill · field · safe · mug · stand

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. chest — a box
  3. stand — to bear
  4. chest — of your body
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. chest — of your body
  7. field — farmland
  8. mug — to rob
  9. craft — a skill
  10. mug — a cup
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. craft — boats
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. drill — the tool
  17. field — a subject
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. drill — army training
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. field — for sport
  23. wake — a trail
  24. mug — a face

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