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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 124 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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bank — for money
  10. bore — to drill
  11. key — in music
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bank — for money
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. craft — boats
  18. present — the time now
  19. bore — to tire
  20. present — there
  21. bank — of a river
  22. snap — to click
  23. key — for a lock
  24. dip — to dunk

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