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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. craft — boats
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. craft — a skill
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bore — to drill
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. fine — high quality
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mug — a cup
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. key — in music
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. mug — a face
  22. bore — to tire
  23. net — in sport
  24. mug — to rob

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