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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bore — to tire
  3. root — the cause
  4. bore — to drill
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. march — the month
  7. mine — for digging
  8. scale — size or range
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. craft — a skill
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. kick — in football
  14. lie — to recline
  15. craft — boats
  16. scale — in music
  17. march — the month
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. march — music
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. lie — an untruth

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