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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. squash — to crush
  3. craft — boats
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — for digging
  6. ball — a dance
  7. hand — help
  8. craft — a skill
  9. deal — to handle
  10. ball — a great time
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bank — for money
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bank — for money
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bore — to drill
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. squash — the sport
  24. mine — an explosive

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