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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 116 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. clip — for paper
  4. spring — the season
  5. clip — a video
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. key — for a lock
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. key — the most important part
  15. clip — to cut
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. key — in music
  21. spring — of water
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. shower — rain

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