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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bore — to drill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bulb — for light
  12. craft — boats
  13. chest — of your body
  14. rush — hurry
  15. chest — a box
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cap — a hat
  20. chest — of your body
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a tool
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. rush — a thrill

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