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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 120 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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. tear — to rip
  5. craft — boats
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — the tool
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bore — to tire
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. drill — army training
  17. bore — to drill
  18. foot — a measure

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