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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. charge — a price
  7. craft — boats
  8. bore — to drill
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — electricity
  13. drill — the tool
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. rest — what's left
  18. craft — a skill
  19. drill — a practice
  20. wind — moving air
  21. drill — army training
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bore — to tire
  24. rest — a break

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