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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. stand — to bear
  3. key — in music
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. craft — boats
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. saw — the tool
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. hand — help
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. saw — the tool
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. key — for a lock

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