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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. rash — a series
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. drill — a practice
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. face — to confront
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. ground — a position
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. face — part of the head
  14. plane — a tool
  15. face — to point toward
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bore — to drill
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. craft — boats
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bore — to tire
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. ground — crushed

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