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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. spring — of water
  4. craft — a skill
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. snap — to click
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bore — to drill
  12. chest — of your body
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. spring — a coil
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. spring — the season
  18. deal — to handle
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bore — to tire
  23. chest — a box
  24. craft — a handicraft

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