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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. craft — boats
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mug — a face
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chest — of your body
  9. craft — a skill
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. chest — of your body
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. mug — a cup
  16. chest — a box
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bore — to drill
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. fork — in a road
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. jam — a tight spot

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