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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pop — soda
  3. chest — of your body
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. current — electric
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bore — to drill
  9. chest — of your body
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. hand — help
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pop — music
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. chest — a box
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pop — to visit
  23. craft — boats
  24. fan — a supporter

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