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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: roll · drill · wake · craft · fan · arm · lash · shower

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. drill — the tool
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. wake — a trail
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. roll — a cake
  13. drill — a practice
  14. shower — rain
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. craft — boats
  19. shower — to wash
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. drill — army training
  24. craft — a skill

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