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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — to wash
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bore — to drill
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. craft — boats
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — child
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bore — to tire
  20. shower — rain
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. squash — the sport

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