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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. staff — employees
  5. bore — to drill
  6. spring — a coil
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. spring — the season
  10. bore — to tire
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. spring — of water
  13. pound — a weight
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. cap — a hat
  18. staff — a stick
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. craft — boats
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. cap — a lid
  24. staff — employees

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