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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. lean — to bend
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lean — thin
  9. craft — a skill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bark — to shout
  15. craft — boats
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. kick — in football
  20. fine — all right
  21. race — humankind
  22. rest — a break
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — of a tree

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