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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. band — a music group
  3. suit — clothes
  4. craft — a skill
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. craft — boats
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bore — to tire
  14. suit — in cards
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bore — to drill
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cold — an illness
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. band — a ring

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