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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 120 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bore — to tire
  3. craft — boats
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bore — to drill
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. fall — the season
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bat — the animal
  18. spell — letters
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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