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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. craft — boats
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bore — to drill
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. sharp — clever
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. craft — a skill

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