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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
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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: suit · drill · hand · craft · rush · bowl · game · fall

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. rush — hurry
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. drill — army training
  6. fall — to drop
  7. suit — to fit
  8. game — wild animals
  9. drill — the tool
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. hand — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. fall — the season
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. suit — in cards
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. craft — boats
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. craft — a skill
  22. game — a match
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. drill — a practice

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