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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. present — a gift
  3. fine — all right
  4. ball — a great time
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bore — to drill
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stem — to come from
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bore — to tire
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. present — the time now
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. present — there
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. ball — a dance
  24. craft — boats

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