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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 116 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. band — a music group
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cue — a signal
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pop — music
  9. season — in sport
  10. rule — government
  11. bore — to drill
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. band — a ring
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bore — to tire
  16. pop — to visit
  17. craft — boats
  18. pop — soda
  19. cue — a hint
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. season — of the year
  22. rule — a law
  23. cold — not warm
  24. craft — a handicraft

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