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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pound — a weight
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. craft — a skill
  5. shower — to wash
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. craft — boats
  8. shower — rain
  9. staff — a stick
  10. track — a path
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. saw — the tool
  15. staff — employees
  16. bore — to tire
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. saw — the tool
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bore — to drill
  22. track — to keep track
  23. plane — a tool
  24. track — a song

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