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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pop — music
  3. dip — to sink
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. stand — to bear
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. craft — a skill
  15. kick — in football
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pop — soda
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. saw — the tool

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