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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bore — to drill
  3. race — the arms race
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. face — part of the head
  7. content — happy
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. face — to confront
  12. court — for sport
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. face — to point toward
  15. race — humankind
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. race — a contest
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. content — the amount
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — of law
  22. bore — to tire
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. craft — a skill

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