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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. bore — to drill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bore — to tire
  4. craft — a skill
  5. file — a document
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. rock — a stone
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. kid — to tease
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. pop — soda
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. foot — a measure
  15. pop — music
  16. rock — music
  17. file — a line of people
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. file — a tool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. kid — child
  23. pop — to visit
  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