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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bore — to drill
  3. net — after costs
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bore — to tire
  6. net — for catching
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. object — a thing
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. saw — the tool
  14. craft — a skill
  15. clip — for paper
  16. clip — to cut
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. object — to protest
  19. craft — boats
  20. clip — a video
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. net — in sport
  24. saw — the tool

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