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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. craft — a skill
  3. kid — child
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. game — a match
  8. game — wild animals
  9. craft — boats
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a grade
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. fall — to drop
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mark — a trace
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. fall — the season
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. kid — to tease

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