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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mine — for digging
  6. prune — to trim
  7. craft — boats
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. bore — to tire
  16. craft — a skill
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. game — a match
  24. board — a committee

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