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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. craft — boats
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. object — to protest
  9. kick — in football
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. spring — the season
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. spring — of water
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bass — low music
  19. spring — a coil
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — an aim
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bass — the fish
  24. craft — a handicraft

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