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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: craft · ruler · squash · wave · spring · lash · season · drill

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. squash — the sport
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. drill — a practice
  6. season — of the year
  7. squash — to crush
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. craft — a skill
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. season — in sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. spring — a coil
  19. drill — army training
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. drill — the tool

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