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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. craft — boats
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bore — to tire
  7. craft — a skill
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. firm — a company
  11. rash — a series
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. board — to get on
  15. bat — the animal
  16. tube — the underground
  17. board — a committee
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. tube — a container
  20. rash — hasty
  21. firm — steady
  22. cell — a phone
  23. firm — decided
  24. cell — in biology

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