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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. spring — of water
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. race — a contest
  7. spring — the season
  8. bore — to tire
  9. mate — to breed
  10. race — humankind
  11. craft — boats
  12. mate — a partner
  13. drill — the tool
  14. mate — a friend
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. suit — clothes
  20. drill — a practice
  21. race — the arms race
  22. spring — a coil
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. craft — a skill

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