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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. pop — soda
  5. craft — boats
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. pop — music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. key — the most important part
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bore — to tire
  16. pop — to visit
  17. wind — moving air
  18. key — in music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. wind — moving air
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. craft — a skill
  23. game — a match
  24. game — a kind of play

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