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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 124 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. mug — a face
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bore — to drill
  5. craft — a skill
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a cup
  10. cold — an illness
  11. craft — boats
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. bore — to tire
  14. plane — a tool
  15. kick — in football
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. cold — not warm
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bore — gave birth

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