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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. bore — to tire
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bore — to drill
  6. face — part of the head
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mate — a partner
  9. branch — a division
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mate — to breed
  13. cap — a hat
  14. face — to point toward
  15. craft — boats
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. face — to confront
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. saw — the tool
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — of ice
  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