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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. chip — to eat
  11. track — to keep track
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. track — a song
  14. bore — to tire
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. track — a path
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bore — to drill
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. craft — a skill
  21. toast — bread
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. chip — for betting
  24. shower — to wash

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