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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a cup
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. kick — in football
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bore — to drill
  8. staff — employees
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. net — in sport
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. mug — a face
  13. staff — employees
  14. craft — a skill
  15. net — for catching
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a lid
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. net — after costs
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. craft — boats
  24. bore — gave birth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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