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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: arm · wind · track · kick · bore · chest · craft · stand

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. chest — of your body
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. wind — moving air
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bore — to drill
  10. craft — a skill
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. craft — boats
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. chest — a box
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — to bear
  22. track — to keep track
  23. kick — in football
  24. bore — to tire

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