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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bore — to drill
  5. tube — a container
  6. firm — a company
  7. land — a country
  8. firm — decided
  9. bore — to tire
  10. shower — rain
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pitch — completely
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. land — ground
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. firm — steady
  20. land — to come down
  21. craft — boats
  22. tube — the underground
  23. shower — to wash
  24. tube — in a tire

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