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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. mark — a trace
  3. track — to keep track
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. fall — the season
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. track — a path
  8. craft — a skill
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mark — a grade
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bore — to drill
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bore — to tire
  17. hand — in cards
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. track — a song
  24. fork — in a road

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