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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bore — to drill
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. drill — army training
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. suit — in cards
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. chair — a leader
  17. craft — boats
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. drill — a practice
  20. suit — clothes
  21. drill — the tool
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bore — to tire
  24. suit — to fit

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