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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. craft — boats
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ground — a position
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. rest — a break
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bore — to drill
  17. ground — crushed
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rest — what's left
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bore — to tire
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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