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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. tear — from crying
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. ground — a position
  8. craft — a skill
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. suit — in cards
  11. spring — of water
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bore — to tire
  14. craft — boats
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. tear — to rip
  19. wound — an injury
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wound — an injury
  22. ground — crushed
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — clothes

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