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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: drill · fine · fan · coach · vault · straw · spell · craft

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. spell — letters
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. fine — all right
  9. spell — a short time
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — a practice
  19. vault — a safe
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fine — high quality
  22. spell — magic
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — boats

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