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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — of water
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — boats
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. stand — to bear
  8. hand — in cards
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. spring — the season
  11. current — of water
  12. bore — to drill
  13. current — electric
  14. rush — hurry
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bore — to tire
  21. current — happening now
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. hand — help
  24. rush — 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