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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. bore — to tire
  3. staff — employees
  4. cold — not warm
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. staff — employees
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. club — a group
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. staff — a stick
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. craft — a skill
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. craft — boats
  24. nail — on a finger

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