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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pit — in a race
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bore — to tire
  9. pit — a hole
  10. band — a ring
  11. can — a tin
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. craft — boats
  15. face — to confront
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. face — to point toward
  19. pass — a permit
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. can — a tin
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. band — a music group

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