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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. craft — a skill
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. shower — rain
  6. rock — music
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. craft — boats
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pound — a weight
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. fall — to drop
  20. foot — a measure
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. sharp — clever
  23. shower — to wash
  24. rock — a stone

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