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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. stand — to bear
  3. firm — a company
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. wake — a trail
  6. craft — boats
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. firm — steady
  15. craft — a skill
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. firm — decided
  21. bore — to drill
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — 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