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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 120 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: hand · hide · scale · stem · fork · craft · cold · drill

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. drill — the tool
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. scale — in music
  7. hand — in cards
  8. scale — size or range
  9. craft — a skill
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cold — not warm
  14. craft — boats
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. drill — army training
  17. stem — to come from
  18. fork — in a road
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. hand — help
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. drill — a practice
  24. hide — to keep secret

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