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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. race — a contest
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — boats
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. race — the arms race
  15. field — for sport
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bore — to tire
  19. craft — a skill
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. race — humankind
  24. wake — before a funeral

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