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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. cap — a hat
  4. spring — a coil
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. spring — the season
  7. cell — in biology
  8. craft — boats
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. cap — of ice
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rock — a stone
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — to tire
  18. rock — music
  19. cap — a lid
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. perch — the fish
  22. cell — a phone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. spring — of water

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