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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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. lean — to bend
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. sharp — clever
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lean — thin
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bore — to tire
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. rash — a series
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bore — to drill
  20. rash — hasty
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. mouse — the animal

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