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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 120 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bore — to drill
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. craft — a skill
  14. band — a ring
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — a country
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. craft — boats
  21. land — ground
  22. foot — a measure
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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