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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. press — to push
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — newspapers
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bore — to drill
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. craft — boats
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — a measure

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