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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. craft — boats
  7. spell — magic
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. spell — letters
  11. craft — a skill
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. spell — a short time
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. net — for catching

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