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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a line of people
  6. craft — boats
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rock — a stone
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rock — music
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. file — a tool
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bat — the animal
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. branch — a division

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