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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bore — to tire
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bore — to drill
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wake — a trail
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. craft — a skill
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. mine — for digging
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bulb — for light

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