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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. rest — a break
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. shower — rain
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bore — to drill
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. court — of a king
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. court — for sport
  18. rest — what's left
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bore — to tire
  22. court — of law
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bat — in an idiom

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