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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: mine · lash · arm · wound · drill · rock · mark · craft

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rock — music
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. craft — a skill
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. drill — army training
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. craft — boats
  12. rock — a stone
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. wound — an injury
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. drill — the tool
  24. lash — an eyelash

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