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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bore — to drill
  4. mate — a partner
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bore — to tire
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. tear — to rip
  9. swing — in golf
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. swing — music
  12. race — a contest
  13. swing — to play on
  14. tear — from crying
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. craft — boats
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — to breed
  22. race — humankind
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. race — the arms race

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